Arkansas Tree Database

Silver Maple

Silver Maple

Scientific name:

Acer Saccharinum

Size:

80' tall by almost as wide, up to 100' tall

Leaves:

opposite, simple, 3"-6" across, with 5 deep pointed lobes, coarsely toothed, with deep indentations widely V-shaped at the bottom; bright green above and whitish or silvered beneath

Flowers:

small greenish or red in clusters; early spring before leaves emerge

Fruit:

winged nutlets in pairs

Fall Interest:

yellowish; deciduous

Culture:

sun to partial sun; adaptable, very fast-growing and prone to breakage

Disease/Insect:

Use:

fast-growing shade tree, useful for stabilizing stream banks; not recommended for landscapes (brittle and weak-wooded)

Cultivars:

Notes:

bark on old trunks broken into loose, long flakes or scales; has clear sap; grows in moist bottomlands, while sugar maple more often grows on hilly ground; native to eastern North American

Resources:

https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/silver-maple.aspx

Click thumbnail to enlarge images

Silver maple bark on mature tree Silver maple bark on mature tree Silver maple tree, weak-wooded and prone to breakage Silver maple branches, in flower Silver maple flowers Silver maple flowers Silver maple leaves, showing deep V-shaped lobes Silver maple leaves, showing opposite arrangement New silver maple leaves, showing upper side and underside Silver maple leaves, showing upper side and silver underside Silver maple, pair of winged samaras Silver maple, pair of winged samaras Silver maple fruit Silver maple tree, mature habit Silver maple twig Silver maple twigs