Silver Maple
Silver Maple — Acer saccharinum (A-sir sah-kar-RINE-um)
Deciduous shade tree
FAMILY: Aceraceae (Maple Family)
HEIGHT: 40 to 80 feet
SPREAD: 20 to 30 feet
FINAL SPACING: ⇒ Do not plant


NATURAL HABITAT AND PREFERRED SITE: Its most common habitat are the nurseries that sell junk trees.
IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION: Upright to spreading tree that tends to have slender drooping branches and a relatively open overall character.

FLOWERS AND FRUIT: Flowers show before the leaves in the spring, are greenish yellow and not very pretty. Fruit (samaras or winged seed) ripens when the leaves are almost mature.

Builders planting trees at new houses typically plant them too deep in the ground and without
unwinding roots rootbound in the pot, so the trees are at an extra disadvantage.
BARK: Smooth when young but gray and breaks into loose flakes with age
FOLIAGE: Leaves are opposite, simple, deciduous and weak yellow in fall color.
CULTURE: This is an easy tree to plant and grow for a few years, before the problems start.
The stem that's full of decay looks dead and should be removed.
PROBLEMS: Silver maple is an extremely short lived tree, has weak wood and is subject to many insect and disease problems which result from the fact that this tree is an unhealthy, lousy tree. I get more calls about problems on this tree than probably any other. Close seconds would include Siberian elm, fruitless mulberry, mimosa and poplars. Other problems include chlorosis, borers, cotton root rot.
PROPAGATION: Not a good idea.
INSIGHT: Try to pick a better quality tree. If you move into a newly built house where the builder installed silver maples in the yard, dig them out, toss them, and plant good quality trees. It will be worth the trouble.
Search Library Topics Search Newspaper Columns