Plant Family: Sapindaceae
Growth Form: Large tree, 12 to 20 meters tall; older trees may develop massive trunks.
Leaves: Opposite, simple, toothed, with five lobes that are separated by deep rounded sinuses; green above, silvery white beneath; turning yellow in the fall.
Bark: Gray and smooth on young trees, becoming loose and scaly with age.
Flowers: Male flowers greenish, female flowers red, held in very short clusters along the branches, appearing before the leaves and earlier in the season than most other maples in March and April.
Fruits: Paired samaras that are longer than other maples, up to 6 cm, April and May.
Habitat: Along riverbanks and the moist soils of floodplains, tolerates periods of flooding; sometimes planted as an ornamental.
Range: Throughout New England, west to Minnesota and south to the Gulf Coast.
Key Feature: The deeply incised leaves that are silvery white beneath will identify this common bottomland tree.
Comments: Silver Maple produces abundant seeds in the spring that are a food source for small mammals and birds when other seeds are scarce. It is not as commonly planted as an ornamental as in the past, because despite its attractiveness and fast growth rate, the branches are brittle and break off in high winds.
