Silver Maple

A mature silver maple may grow 40-80’ tall, but much larger examples are cited in the literature. The trunk of a mature specimen is often forked low into several large upright branches with gray bark that tends to flake or peel leaving the tree with splotches of reddish brown bark beneath. The leaves are maple-like, but are deeply cut as the photograph shows. The silver maple is most often found naturally in floodplain forests and make up a significant percentage of trees found in lowland forests within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. It has, however, been widely planted as an ornamental tree in upland suburban areas, but its roots often damage sidewalks and sewer systems, its branches are brittle and break easily, and prodigious seed production litters lawns and clogs rain gutters. Fascinating Facts The twigs give off a slightly unpleasant odor when crushed. The sap is sometimes boiled down for syrup or sugar, but the sugar content is relatively low compared to sugar maple.

Forest Home     Silver Maple Acer saccharinum Find It Silver maples are common floodplain forest trees throughout the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.