Habitat

• eastern United States and central plains, but not in the southeastern states. Also adjacent parts of Canada
• zone 3

Habit and Form

• large tree to around 70', but can reach well beyond 100'
• upright spreading branches form an oval or rounded crown that seems to have sprays of foliage jutting out
• branches arch over then turn up at the tips
• fast growing tree, vigorous
• medium texture

Summer Foliage

• opposite leaves, 5-lobed, fairly deeply incised
• bright green color above, silvery below
• 3" to 5" long leaves, long petioles

Autumn Foliage

• typically leaves drop a greenish yellow or green
• some specimens develop reddish tints

Flowers

• monoecious with male and female flowers on separate branches of a tree; some flowers may be perfect as well
• dull reddish orange in early spring
• small, somewhat showy, but not as noticeable as Acer rubrum or Acer platanoides flowers

Fruit

• samaras, 1.3" to 2.3" long, maturing in June
• one of the larger fruited maples

Bark

• trunk and branches are silvery-gray
• bark on trunk splits and flakes revealing orangish inner bark
• bark can be attractive and ornamental

Culture

• easily grown, transplanted and established so data is limited
• tolerant of a wide range of soils (not high pH)
• tolerant of drought as well as seasonal flooding
• tolerant of urban conditions

Landscape Uses

• shade tree
• temporary tree where fast growth is needed
• for difficult sites
• parks
• areas that receive seasonal flooding

Liabilities

• rapid growth creates weak wood which breaks easily in storms or under ice load
• shallow rooted and causes sidewalk/driveway buckling
• roots can clog drain pipes
• produces weed seedlings
• verticillium wilt, anthracnose, leaf spot, tar spot, several insects
• manganese chlorosis on high pH soils
• great genetic variation exists; not all are equally cold hardy

ID Features

• stems when broken produce a strong odor
• flower buds in clusters; look like Christmas ornaments
• buds similar to Acer rubrum, but slightly larger
• deeply cut foliage
• silvery bark with orangish furrows
• "droop and swoop" branch tips

Propagation

• by seed
• by cuttings for selections

Cultivars/Varieties

'Beebe' - Has somewhat pendulous branches and more deeply cut leaves than species.

'Laciniatum' - A general cultivar for forms selected for their deeply-cut, dissected foliage.

'Silver Cloud' - A form out of Canada with extreme hardiness. The crown is oval and dense.

'Silver Queen' - A common cultivar with upright habit that is rounded when mature (to 50' tall and wide). Leaf color is good -- bright green above, silvery beneath and yellowish in autumn. Another possible benefit is reduced production of bothersome seedlings.

'Skinner' (also seen as 'Skinneri') - Interesting for its cut-leaf character. The branch structure appears to be more horizontal than other cultivars.