(Acer saccharinum)
Silver maple is a resilient native tree that offers shade, beauty and essential habitat for wildlife in your yard and beyond.
Quick Facts
Height: approximately 50 feet in urban settings
Spread: approximately 35 feet in urban settings
Form: oval to rounded crown with spreading to drooping branches
Leaves: simple, bright green above and silvery below, rounded, five deep lobes with coarsely serrate edges; emerge in spring
Bark: smooth, silvery-grey when young; coarse, flaky, grey when mature
Flowers: small, green to red, dense clusters; emerge in early spring before the leave
Fruit: large, green to reddish-brown, clusters of two-winged, papery, horseshoe-shaped samaras (called keys); mature in late spring/early summer
Distinguishing Feature
Silver maple is known for its deeply lobed leaves with silvery undersides and its rapid growth, making it a striking and adaptable urban shade tree.
Historical Fact
Silver maple was widely planted in North American cities during the 19th and early 20th centuries due to its rapid growth and tolerance of urban conditions. Many older neighbourhoods still feature towering silver maples that were planted generations ago to provide quick shade.
Why We Love It
Silver maple is a hardy native tree that provides generous shade with its broad, spreading canopy. Its distinctive silvery-backed leaves shimmer in the wind, adding beauty to any landscape. Sturdy and adaptable, it thrives in a variety of soils and urban conditions, including compaction and pollution, making it a valuable choice for both natural and urban settings while also supporting local wildlife.
Did You Know?
- Silver maple thrives in wet areas and is commonly found along riverbanks and floodplains, where its fast growth helps stabilize soil and prevent erosion.
- Its inner bark was once pounded into flour for bread, while its seeds were roasted with butter and salt for a tasty snack.
- Its sap was traditionally used as a cough syrup and to treat kidney and liver ailments.
Plant Your Own!
Planting a silver maple in your yard is a wonderful way to enhance the beauty of your property and provide habitat for native wildlife. Plant for Less with LEAF’s subsidized Backyard Tree Planting Program today!
LEAF (Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of urban forests. We envision vibrant communities where everyone benefits from a healthy urban forest. For over 30 years we have been connecting people with trees through education, planting and stewardship.
