Maple, Silver

The silver maple is a relatively fast-growing deciduous tree, commonly reaching a height of 50–80 ft, exceptionally to 115 ft. Its spread will generally be 35–50 ft wide. A 10-year-old sapling will stand about 25 ft tall. It is often found along waterways and in wetlands, leading to the colloquial name “water maple”. It is a highly adaptable tree, although it has higher sunlight requirements than other maples. Silver maple trees are common in the Midwest. They are fast growing trees. The disadvantage of growing so quickly is that the wood is not as strong as in trees that grow more slowly. The trunk is usually short and separates into several “subtrunks” early on.

The LEAVES are palmate, 3–6 in long and 3–6 in broad, with deep angular notches between the five lobes. The 2.5–6 in long, slender stalks of the leaves mean that even a light breeze can produce a striking effect as the silver undersides of the leaves are exposed. The autumn color is less pronounced than in many maples, generally ending up a pale yellow, although some specimens can produce a more brilliant yellow and even orange and red colorations. Some specimens can simply drop their leaves while still green as well. Young leaves may have a distinct reddish tinge in the margins.

The Silver maple is the first tree to FLOWER in the Midwest. Although they give the tree a reddish (female flowers) or brownish (male flowers) tinge, they are not showy and are seldom noticed by the general population. The flowers of the Acer saccharinum are monoecious. There are separate male and female flowers but they may appear on the same tree, even on the same branch. The flowers are in dense clusters.

The FRUIT of maple trees are on paired, winged “samaras”. The samaras of the Silver maple are larger than any other native maples. Since the flowers of the Acer saccharinum emerge long before the leaves, the fruit is well developed by late spring. This Silver maple is one of the few native maples that release their fruit in the Spring. The samara appear in pairs, but it is not uncommon for only one of them to develop fully.

The BARK of the Silver maple is light grey and it’s smooth when the tree is young. In older trees, the bark breaks into thin strips and with loose ends with a shaggy appearance..

In many parts of the eastern U.S., the large rounded buds of the silver maple are one of the primary food sources for squirrels during the spring, after many acorns and nuts have sprouted and the squirrels’ food is scarce. The seeds are the largest of any native maple and are also a food source for WILDLIFE.