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Silver Maple

Acer saccharinum

The Silver Maple has soft, silvery leaves that flutter in the wind. This tree grows fast and loves wet places!

Habitat: Floodplains and riverbanks

Appearance

The Silver Maple has distinct deeply lobed leaves with silvery-white undersides, giving it a shimmering appearance in the breeze. Its bark is smooth and gray when young, becoming shaggy with long, peeling strips as it matures, revealing reddish-brown inner bark.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderSapindalesFamilySapindaceaeGenusAcer

Silver Maple

Interesting facts

Its winged seeds, called 'samaras,' spin like tiny helicopters as they fall to the ground.

Sap from a Silver Maple can be boiled down to make maple syrup, just like Sugar Maples!

Silver Maples are super speedy growers, often one of the fastest growing trees in North America!

The tree's name comes from its leaves, which shimmer silver when seen from below in the wind!

Special abilities

Silver Maple can quickly sprout seeds in early spring floods, helping it colonize new riverbanks fast.

Silver Maple has shallow, spreading roots that efficiently soak up water from floodplains and moist soils.

Silver Maple has flexible branches that can bend and sway in strong winds, reducing the risk of snapping.

Measurements & details

Height: 15-35 m
Canopy Spread: 10-20 m
Is Edible: Yes
Trunk Diameter: 50-150 cm
Lifespan: 80-130 years
Fruit Type: Samara
Growth Rate: Fast
Leaf Type: Deciduous

Ecological connections

eats

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Feeds on samara seeds and buds.

eats

Eastern Tent Caterpillar

Malacosoma americanum

Larvae munch on leaves.

eats

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Browses on young shoots and twigs.

shelters

Hairy Woodpecker

Picoides villosus

Builds nests in tree cavities.

Traits

Deciduous

Discover the magic of plants that shed all their leaves during a particular season, often putting on a spectacular show of fall colors first. They get ready for a fresh start!

Broadleaf Tree

Discover magnificent trees that have wide, flat leaves, unlike the needles of pine trees! These are often the trees that change colors beautifully in autumn.

Wetland

These fascinating areas are covered by water for at least part of the year, creating a perfect home for unique plants and animals, like marshes and swamps.