365 Urban Species. #124: Silver Maple
Urban species #124: Silver maple Acer saccharinum
Silver maple is easily distinguished by its shaggy bark and its jagged and deeply indented leaves, whose whitish undersides give the tree its name. Silver maple was commonly chosen for urban plantings in the past, but is being used less often in recent years. On the one hand, the tree grows fast, matures to a great height, and is tolerant of urban conditions. On the other hand, its wood is brittle, and large limbs frequently break off in storms. Fear of lawsuits is a primary cause of this tree's decline in cities, according to The Urban Tree Book.
Silver maple is native to eastern North America, naturally occurring in areas with moist soils. Many animals are drawn to it for food and shelter, including squirrels, muskrats (who eat flowers and fruit that fall into the water), and birds. The fruit it produces is the familiar paired winged seeds unique to maples, and the silver maple's fruit is the largest of the genus.
Silver maple's typical growth form is a y shaped forked trunk.
The leaves are the typical maple leaf shape, but are distinctively deeply indented and angular.
The wings on the fruit are veined, and often asymmetrical.