This cultivar was originally created by the Dutch garden architect Chris. P. Broerse. He practiced new trends at the time of planting species that worked together in difficult marshy conditions. Whilst designing the public green spaces in the district of Amstelveen, he required certain trees to have an up-righted canopy that would thrive in the specific Dutch conditions. He found two Field Maples that more or less meet these requirements in the small district of Elsrijk, and in 1937 he began his first cultivars.

In 1953 the final Elsrijk was selected and has remained a very popular street and avenue tree in Holland.

For a tighter, more uniformed tree that was cultivated here in the UK from our own native field maple, try the Acer campestre Streetwise.