Silver maple is a large shade tree in the maple family (Sapindaceae). It gets its common name from the silvery undersides of its leaves. It is native to eastern North America and can be found in flood plains, along streams or rivers. The Genus name is Latin for maple. The specific epithet means sugary in reference to the sweet sap. This is a fast-growing tree reaching 50-80 feet tall and 40-60 feet wide with a rounded spreading crown. It will grow in poor acidic wet soils where other trees won't. It is highly adaptable to other soil types and tolerates urban conditions. Plant in full sun to light shade. The roots are shallow and will disturb driveways and sidewalks and invade septic systems and other drains. The wood is weak and breaks easily in storms and with snow loads. The silvery underside of the leaves looks showy in the wind and the shaggy bark adds additional interest. Fall color is not very showy. Inconspicuous flowers in spring are followed by winged samaras. Silver maple is closely related to the red maple and will hybridize with it creating the Freeman maple . This tree is a much better choice as it combines the fast growth with stronger wood, less invasive roots and red fall color. Silver maple can be used as a shade tree, in a rain garden and in areas with poor or wet soil. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems though scale and borers may be present. Verticillium wilt, anthracnose, and canker can affect stressed trees. See potential disease and insect problem fact sheets to the left. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common maple diseases and insect pests. Site : Full sun, Partial Shade VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “ Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping ” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University . More information on Acer .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in. | Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Open; Oval; Rounded; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green; Variegated
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
3 to 6 in. opposite, palmately veined leaf with 5 deeply cut lobes; silvery underside; medium green on top, yellow, brown, green combination fall color.
Fall color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Insignificant, greenish-yellow to red flowers in early spring. Regular, pentamerous in racemes, corymbs or umbels. In North Carolina, flowers are available from February to April.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit color
Green
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
Samara, not ornamentally important. Wings spreading at an 80 to 90-degree angle. In NC fruit is available in late spring to summer.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Light Gray
Bark detail
Gray to dark brown bark develops long thin scales with age giving it a shaggu appearance. Inner bark is orange.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Lustrous red to brown with a smooth surface. Second year stems becoming gray.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern and central North America
Distribution
Eastern and central North America
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Early spring source of nectar for bees. Seeds are eaten by squirrels, chipmunks and birds. Buds are eaten by squirrels after the seeds have sprouted.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Samara
Edibility
Sap can be used to make syrup
Uses (ethnobotany)
Wood is used for paper pulp. Sap is inferior to sugar maples.