General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist soils, but shows somewhat surprising tolerance for poor dry soils.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Silver maple gets its name from the silvery undersides of its leaves. This is one of the largest deciduous trees native to Missouri, typically growing to 50-80’ (less frequently to 100’) tall with a rounded, open-spreading crown. It is native to eastern and central North America where it typically occurs in moist to wet, sometimes mucky, often poorly drained soils on floodplains, along the edges of streams and rivers and in low woods (Steyermark). It is a fast-growing, somewhat graceful tree that formerly was a very popular urban landscape selection for lawns and streets, but has more recently fallen somewhat out of favor because of the proclivity of its weak-wooded limbs to split when stressed by high winds or ice/snow. Polygamous greenish yellow flowers bloom in clusters in early spring (March) before the foliage. Bark is gray to brownish gray. Mature tree trunks and limbs develop a shaggy appearance as the bark develops long thin flaky scales that exfoliate at the ends. Deeply 5-lobed light green leaves (to 6” across) have silvery undersides. ‘Silver Queen’ is a variety that was introduced into commerce in 1966. It typically grows to 50’ tall by 40-50’ wide and is distinguished from the species by having (a) stronger upright branching, (b) a more dominant central leader, (c) seedless to almost seedless habit, (d) better bright green summer foliage and (e) better yellow fall color. Tree sap is sweet, hence the species name which comes from the Latin word for sugar, but syrups made therefrom are greatly inferior to those made from sugar maple (Acer saccharum).