Acer saccharinum L.

Silver maple, creek maple, river maple, silverleaf maple, soft maple, white maple, water maple

Silver maple is a native of eastern North America.

Plants: Up to 49–82′ (15–25 m) in height, with a maximum of 115′ (35 m). Bark is gray, smooth on younger trees, shaggy on older trees.

Leaves: Similar to those of the closely related red maple, but they are divided into narrower lobes, more deeply notched, and are silvery-white on the undersides. They are about 3–6 ⨉ 2–4½″ (8–16 ⨉ 6–12 cm). In the fall, leaves remain green or turn greenish yellow, sometimes with reddish tints.

Flowers: Several small greenish-yellow flower clusters occur near the ends of twigs, spaced 1–3″ (2.5–7.6 cm) apart.

Fruits: As with other maples, fruits are winged pairs opposite each other. These pairs are the largest of any maple, about 1¼″ (3.2 cm), forming an angle between about 45-90°.

Habitats: Often found near water, especially along riverbanks.

Online References:

References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Acer saccharinum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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