Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum · Sapindaceae (Soapberry family, traditionally placed in Aceraceae)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous leaf
Shape
Palmate with 5 deeply cut, sharply toothed lobes
Margin
Irregularly serrate to coarsely toothed, with deeply indented sinuses
Arrangement
Opposite
Venation
Palmate venation with five primary veins radiating from the base, prominent midribs
Key Features
Deeply cleft, five-lobed leaves with sharply serrate margins and a distinctly silvery-white underside, paired with opposite branching and a pale-colored petiole
Description
Acer saccharinum, commonly known as the silver maple, is a fast-growing deciduous tree prized for its deeply cut leaves that flash a silvery underside in the wind. The tree features an open, spreading crown, grayish flaky bark on mature trunks, and produces winged samaras in early spring before the leaves fully emerge. It transitions to a pale yellow or occasionally reddish-brown in autumn.
Habitat
Typically found along banks of streams, rivers, floodplains, and wetland borders, preferring moist, alluvial soils and full sun to partial shade
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, stretching from southern Quebec and Ontario down to Florida, and west to Minnesota and Texas
Notes
Northern Minnesota