# box elder (*Acer negundo*) The box elder is a fast-growing tree with bright green leaves that turn yellow in the fall. It can grow tall and provides shade for people and animals alike. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 97 - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Ash-leaved Maple, Box Elder Maple ![box elder](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Acer_negundo_Bozeman_1.jpg&width=800) Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acer_negundo_Bozeman_1.jpg) ## Appearance The box elder is a medium-sized tree with distinctive compound leaves, usually featuring 3-7 leaflets, making it look different from most maples. Its young branches are often bright green or purplish, and the mature bark is pale gray-brown with deep furrows. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Sapindales - **Family:** Sapindaceae - **Genus:** Acer ## Interesting facts - Box elder is sometimes called 'ash-leaved maple' because its leaves look like ash tree leaves! - It's the only maple tree with leaves divided into many small leaflets! - Native Americans once boiled its sweet sap to make sugary syrup! - This tree grows super fast, sometimes reaching its full height in just 30 years! ## Special abilities - **Flood Fighter:** Box elder can grow in flood-prone areas, quickly recovering after water events, helping it survive harsh riverbanks. - **Habitat Pioneer:** Box elder can rapidly colonize disturbed soils and open spaces, helping it spread and establish new territories. - **Wind Spreader:** Box elder produces winged seeds called samaras that twirl through the air, helping it disperse seeds far away. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 1000-2500 cm - **Spread:** 600-1500 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Early spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** boxelder bug (*Boisea trivittata*) — feeds on leaves and seeds. - **Eats:** [eastern gray squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — eats the tree's winged seeds. - **Eats:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on young twigs and leaves. - **Shelter:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — builds nests in its branches. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be careful around trees; watch for falling branches and stay close to an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify box elder? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is box elder? 1000-2500 cm ### How wide does box elder spread? 600-1500 cm ### How big are the flowers on box elder? 0.5-1 cm ### When does box elder bloom? Early spring ### Is box elder edible? No ### Is box elder toxic? None ### What is box elder's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Albany Pine Bush](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albany-pine-bush) — New York, US · Nature Reserve - [Arden Park–East Boston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arden-park-east-boston-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Barrio De Analco Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/barrio-de-analco-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Berkshire Botanical Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/berkshire-botanical-garden) — Massachusetts, US · Botanical Garden - [Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackhand-gorge-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District [View all places to see box elder](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/box-elder) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Box Elder: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/box-elder)