Acer negundo L.
Boxelder, ashleaf maple, boxelder maple, Manitoba maple, California boxelder, western boxelder
It is a rather bewildering fact that boxelder is considered by many to be the best known and most widespread of the native American maples. Considering, after all, that it isn’t called a maple, and that many other maples are also common in North America. Oh, and that its leaves don’t usually have the five-pointed iconic look of most other maples. I grew up on the Maine coast with one of these in the front yard, and never once suspected it of being a closet maple tree.
Plants: Trees are up to 69′ (21 m) high and about 26′ (8 m) around, unevenly branched, with thin, shallowly furrowed gray or light brown bark. Young branches are light green. It is a tough tree, tolerating both drought and up to 30 days of flooding
Leaves: opposite, in groups of 3-5 (rarely 7) leaflets, each 2–4″ (5–10 cm) long. Leaf shapes are variable: pointed ovals with smooth edges, or a few spikes similar to poison ivy leaves, or a more “maple-like” shape similar to red maple.
Flowers: Dioecious—that is, male flowers (Photo 6) occur on separate trees than female flowers and fruits (Photo 14).
Fruits: Winged samaras.
Habitats: Virtually all soils, with a preference for moist conditions.
Edibility: Boxelder sap, though not as sugary as that of sugarmaple, is sweet enough so that it is sometimes tapped for making syrup.
Online References:
References:
1 · 4/4/2012 · North Central Railroad Trail, End, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 14 cm) 
2 · 9/1/2014 · Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico 
3 · 5/4/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 8″ (14 × 20 cm) 
4 · 7/26/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 8 × 6″ (21 × 14 cm) 
5 · 4/6/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
6 · Male flowers. · 4/13/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 6″ (13 × 14 cm) ID is uncertain 
7 · 7/19/2017 · Monongahela National Forest, Monongahela, West Virginia · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm) 
8 · 9/1/2014 · Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico · ≈ 1 × 1′ (37 × 31 cm) 
9 · 7/19/2017 · Monongahela National Forest, Monongahela, West Virginia · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
10 · 9/1/2014 · Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico · ≈ 2½ × 1½′ (79 × 53 cm) 
11 · 7/19/2017 · Monongahela National Forest, Monongahela, West Virginia · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm) 
12 · Female flowers and early formation of samaras. · 4/13/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 5″ (10 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain 
13 · 4/15/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3 × 4½″ (7.9 × 11 cm) 
14 · Female flowers and early formation of samaras. · 4/13/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 6″ (11 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain 
15 · 7/19/2017 · Monongahela National Forest, Monongahela, West Virginia · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (12 × 18 cm) 
16 · 3/20/2012 · Gunpowder Falls State Park, Phoenix Rd, Phoenix, Maryland · ≈ 3½ × 5″ (9.2 × 13 cm) 
17 · Female flowers and early formation of samaras. · 4/13/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm) ID is uncertain 
18 · 4/13/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain 
19 · Male flowers. · 4/13/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 6″ (18 × 14 cm) ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Sapindales | Includes citrus; maples, horse-chestnuts, lychees and rambutans; mangos and cashews; frankincense and myrrh; mahogany and neem |
| Family | Sapindaceae | Soapberry family |
| Genus | Acer | Maples |
| Species | negundo | Name used in India, from Sanskrit nigundi |
Acer negundo description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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