Hardy in zones 3-9, silver maple tree growth is about 2 feet (0.5 m.) or more per year. Many different species of maple trees exist, a majority of which are found growing throughout North America. The tree is useful in wet areas, transplants easily, and can grow where few others can. Silver maple trees can tolerate compacted, poor soils, hot and dry climates, urban conditions and even air pollution. Acer saccharinum, commonly known as silver maple, creek maple, silverleaf maple, soft maple, large maple, water maple, swamp maple, or white maple, is a species of maple native to the eastern and central United States and southeastern Canada. Its natural habitat is along stream banks, floodplains, and lake edges where it grows best on better-drained, moist alluvial soils. It should be saved for planting in wet areas or where nothing else will thrive. Silver maple trees are extremely fast-growing and have vigorous, spreading roots that can easily damage sidewalks, foundations, driveways and sewer or septic lines. Throughout much of the commercial maple region, however, most … Don't mistake the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) with the silver maple, both of which have similarly lobed leaves with paler undersides. Fall coloring is green to yellow-brown, and is not striking. How to Grow Silver Maple Trees. The leaf surfaces are glabrous, light green above and white to silvery below, giving it the common name "silver maple." Hard-to-distinguish trees may be a hybrid: Freeman Maple (Acer ×freemanii), which occurs naturally and is also widely planted in landscaping. Silver maples are typically grown as shade tree in landscapes and are prized for their attractive leaves. They can occur in the same habitat, but red maple occurs in a wider range of habitats. Without proper and frequent pruning high winds and ice can cause limbs to break. Click on images of Silver Maple to enlarge. The silver maple’s leaves are green on the upper surfaces, silvery on the undersides, 3 to 6 inches long and wide, and deeply lobed, with five separate lobes. As the silver maple tree ages, the bark develops thin, scaly plates on its trunk with a reddish tint to the scales. The lobes are often very deep; the margins of the leaves are toothed and the upper surface is bright green while the … Sap is edible and can be used to make syrup although it is not a common practice and is not used in commercial syrup production. Sapwood color ranges from almost white, to a light golden or reddish brown, while the heartwood is a darker reddish brown. Study the leaves to identify a silver maple tree. Silver maple is a large canopy tree that occupies a variety of moist to wet woodland habitats, especially floodplains where it can tolerate extensive periods of flooding and siltation. Five common species are shown here. Description: It is a tree that reaches sixty to eighty feet in height (the record tree in the Big Tree Register is one hundred and fifteen feet tall), with grayish bark in scales, peeling in older trees. It is usually found growing in open sunlight along creeks and waterways. The silver maple’s leaves are green on the upper surfaces, silvery on the undersides, 3 to 6 inches long and wide, and deeply lobed, with five separate lobes. The leaves are opposite, simple, and palmately lobed with five lobes. Study the leaves to identify a silver maple tree. It does have some commercial wood value and is used for making a large variety of wood working projects that include (to name a few) : musical instruments, cabinetry, furniture and flooring. They al… see more; Synonyms Acer dasycarpum Acer eriocarpum. The leaves are arranged opposite each other in pairs. Family Sapindaceae . Although the silver maple‘s Latin name is similar, it should not be confused with Acer saccharum, the … Study the fruits to identify silver maples, which are double-winged and V-shaped. This species has become over planted. Seeds are large two winged samaras and are eaten by numerous animals. It is a fast grower and, at one time, more used in urban landscapes where it is still common, though its huge size often dwarfs the landscape and its brittle wood is prone to storm damage. Silver maple is a tall, fast-growing, native tree of eastern North America. Also notice the tree's growth habit to identify the silver maple. soft maple, river maple, white maple, water maple, silverleaf maple, creek maple. It is a fast grower and, at one time, more used in urban landscapes where it is still common, though its huge size often dwarfs the landscape and its brittle wood is prone to storm damage. The Silver Maple is similar to the Sugar Maple that was previously identified in many ways. Study the fruits to identify silver maples, which are double-winged and V-shaped. The maple trees native to Texas do not include such familiar species as the sugar maple or the silver maple, but several maples do grow within the state. Identification of the leaves of the Texas maples, along with some ornamental types, can be challenging, as a few of these trees have very similar foliage. One would be the silver coloring on the back of the leaves and that the overall size of the Silver is larger (3-5 inches on the Sugar as opposed to 5-7 inches on the Silver). As in case of certain other maple tree species, even the silver maple is used for syrup extraction. The Japanese Maple leaves have narrow lobes and the Silver Maple has deeply cut leaves. Insects infesting silver maple trees (Acer saccharinum) range from nothing more than an annoyance to a more serious concern that can lead to the trees' defoliation and loss of vigor. Has a fine, even texture. It can withstand some flooding and has moderate drought tolerance. Fine for large open spaces. silver maple bark identification 4 December 2020 / in Geen categorie / by / in Geen categorie / by Also notice the tree’s growth habit to identify the silver maple. When you are dealing with hybrid cultivars, determining what kind of tree you have can be more difficult. Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) Large, reddish buds round to blunt-tipped; 4 or fewer pairs of bud scales visible. A distinguishing feature of silver maples is that the twigs emit a foul or fetid odor when the bark is bruised or scraped. The silver maple is also known as Acer saccharinum, soft maple, river maple, silverleaf maple, swamp maple, water maple, and white maple. Silver Maples' Appearance Like all maple trees, it has a five-pointed leaf and produces a prolific amount of seeds in the early spring. Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee tells you a little about how to identify Silver Maple trees and differentiate them from other species of maple. Purdue Extension forester Lenny Farlee tells you a little about how to identify Silver Maple trees and differentiate them from other species of maple. Twigs : The buds are rounded, red or reddish-brown, blunt-pointed, and generally like those of the red maple. Copyright © 2020 Boulder Tree Care. Silver maple has a vase shape and is a rapidly growing, fairly weak-wooded tree that reaches a height of 60 to 80 feet with a 5- to 6- foot diameter trunk on a moist site. Flowers appear in the early spring before the leaves in drooping racemes. Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is the fastest growing maple either native or planted in Iowa. When you have a naturally-occurring maple species, identification is fairly straightforward. The leaves of the Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) can be distinguished from those of the Sugar maple. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, spider on the green leaf of maple tree image by starush from, http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ID=26, Maple-Trees.com: Maple Tree Identification. A.K.A. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. Side buds often nearly as large as terminal buds. Silver maple trees can tolerate compacted, poor soils, hot and dry climates, urban conditions and even air pollution. The silver maple is very similar to the red maple — except that its leaves turn pale yellow or … A distinguishing feature of silver maples is that the twigs emit a foul or fetid odor when the bark is bruised or scraped. Its natural habitat is along stream banks, floodplains, and lake edges where it grows best on better-drained, moist alluvial soils. It is one of the most common trees in the United States. Look at the flowers to spot silver maple trees. The silver maple can also grow in a wide range of soil types and environmental conditions. soft maple, river maple, white maple, water maple, silverleaf maple, creek maple. Don’t mistake the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) with the silver maple, both of which have similarly lobed leaves with paler undersides. These maple trees produce 1- to 2-inch-long, elongated fruits that are green to brownish in color and mature in spring. The undersides of the leaves are much lighter than the tops and can shimmer like silver when wind ruffles the leaves, giving Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) its common name. Height 100' or more with a diameter of up to 36" or more; trunk usually short, divided into a number of long ascending limbs that are again divided and their small branches droop but turn upward at tips, forming a broad, rounded crown. The leaf blades are similar to A. saccharinum but have V-shaped sinuses, a shorter central lobe, and teeth distributed over the apical 50–75% of the lobes. A.K.A. The seeds grow in a pair of "wings." The Norway Maple differs from the Field Maple and Sycamore in that its lobes and teeth have finely pointed tips. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! All Rights Reserved. Acer rubrum × Acer saccharinum → Acer ×freemanii Murray is a rare maple hybrid known from MA, ME, NH, VT. It's is a medium-sized tree of short bole and quickly branching crown. All rights reserved. The silver maple grows in a wide range of soil types but prefers deep, moist, acidic soil. Silver Maple can also be seen with curly or quilted grain patterns. Silver maple leaves have very deep margins between the five lobes, and the underside is silver or white in color. Identify the silver maple by its bark, which is silvery-gray when young. Red and silver maple are closely related and have similar buds, but are usually easy to tell apart by leaves and growth habit. The flowers are yellowish-red and bloom during early to mid-March. But, there are several differences between the Silver and Sugar Maple. Genus Acer can be deciduous trees or large shrubs with paired, often palmately-lobed leaves and small flowers followed by characteristic winged fruits. Native; Deciduous; Rapid growth rate; Reaching 65′ – 85′ in height; Crown has 40′- 55′ spread; Bark is grey and peels; Leaf has 5 lobes; Opposite bud arrangement on branches Silver maple is a rapidly growing maple found throughout much of the eastern United States and extreme southeastern Canada, where it is often tapped (sometimes heavily) in a particular location (Figure 3.9). Its light green leaves are 15 to 20 centimetres long, with 5 or 7 lobes. Family: Aceraceae. Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. For example, the autumn blaze maple tree is a hybrid of a red maple and a … Click on images of Silver Maple to enlarge. The silver maple is commonly used for bottom land reforestation and for rehabilitation of degraded and surface-mined lands. The vertical strips or plates on the trunk tend to peel and flake off. Like the red maple, silver maple is a relatively short-lived tree when compared to the sugar or black maple, living perhaps 130-150 years. Terry has written articles and publications for a wide range of markets and subject matters, including Medicine & Health, Eli Financial, Dartnell Publications and Eli Journals. Because of its fast growth rate, however, mature trees can achieve diameters in excess of 3 feet and heights in excess of 100 feet. When mature, they separate and whirl down from the tree on a single "wing." Many different species of maple trees exist, a majority of which are found growing throughout North America. It has a winged fruit but the wings hang down at an angle whereas those on the field Maple are flat. Silver maples have a flaky gray bark, whereas red maple trees have dark brown bark. Unlike silver maple trees, the sugar maple's horseshoe-shaped, double-winged fruits mature in fall. Identify maple trees by their bark: Maple tree bark is generally gray-brown to reddish-brown. The silver maple tree (Acer saccharinum) is mostly distributed throughout the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. If you have any questions regarding trees, forests, wildlife, wood products or other natural resource topics, feel free to contact us by using our Ask an Expert web page. The syrup extracted from the silver maple is found to be low in sugar content, and is rated as satisfactory. The silver maple reaches 50 to 80 feet in height and has a 35- to 50-foot-wide, vase-shaped canopy. Study the leaves to identify a silver maple tree. Silver maple trees are extremely fast-growing and have vigorous, spreading roots that can easily damage sidewalks, foundations, driveways and sewer or septic lines. 3 Roots often grow on the surface of the soil, making mowing grass difficult under the canopy. Commonly found in wetlands, near rivers and waterways. Boulder Tree Care – Pruning & Tree Removal Services. The silver maple is a large tree that can grow to be 35 metres tall with a trunk that’s more than 100 centimetres in diameter. Grain/Texture: Grain is generally straight, but may be wavy. Identify the silver maple tree by its size and canopy shape. Not a tree we recommend in landscapes due to the high pruning maintenance caused by storm damage and the tendency for the branches and trucks to hollow out becoming a safety issue. The leaves are arranged opposite each other in pairs. Near waterways, beavers often eat silver maple bark and use their limbs for building beaver dams and lodges. 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