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.