Acer saccharinum
silver maple, soft maple, white maple
Family
Aceraceae
Leaf Arrangement
opposite
Leaf Attachment
petiolate
Leaf Margin
incised
Leaf Type
simple
Leaf Shape
palmate lobed
Growth Form
tree
Flower Color
green, yellow
Flower Month
February - April
Height (meters)
30.0
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Unarmed
Origin
native
Lifespan
perennial
Leaf Retention
Deciduous
Wetland Class
FACW
Wetland Coefficient of Conservatism
6
Field Characters
Maples have opposite leaves and are sometimes confused with sweetgum which has alternate leaves. A. saccharinum can be distinguished by its fetid smelling twigs and a terminal lobe that is constricted near its base. Also, lobes on the leaf are deeply cut with acuminate apices. Leaf under surfaces white/silver (hence common name).
Cultural Information
Frequently planted as an ornamental.
Habitat
Riparian areas along large rivers such as the Mississippi, Pearl, Red, and Sabine.