Common Name: Silver Maple

General Information

Acer saccharinum is a deciduous tree with a rounded, open, spreading crown; it usually grows 15 - 25 metres tall, occasionally reaching more than 30 metres. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 90 - 120cm in diameter, generally dividing at about 3 - 5 metres above ground into 3 or 4 stout, upright, secondary stems that are each devoid of branches for a considerable length[, ].
The tree has a wide range of uses for food, medicine and as a source of materials. These are mainly local uses now, though the wood is of good quality for furniture, veneer, fuel etc. A very ornamental tree, though because of its weak wood it is best suited for areas of poor or wet soils where other species struggle to grow[, ]

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Habitat

Banks of rivers, usually in sandy soils[, ]. Trees are occasionally found in deep often submerged swamps[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	20.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Acer saccharinum is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -35°c when dormant[].
Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil[, ] but does well in much wetter soils than most member of the genus. Succeeds in most soils including chalk[]. Another report says that this species is liable to become chlorotic as a result of iron deficiency when it is grown on alkaline soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils[, ]. Prefers moist soils, but shows somewhat surprising tolerance for poor dry soils[]. Prefers a moderately sunny position[, ]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[]. Fairly wind-tolerant[]. The wood is brittle and branches are liable to break off the tree in high winds[, ]. Trees can tolerate short periods of flooding, but are very susceptible to fire[].
The yield of syrup is only half that of Acer saccharum[]. The sap can be harvested in the late winter, the flow is best on warm sunny days following a frost. The best sap production comes from cold-winter areas with continental climates.
A very fast growing tree[, ], but it is short-lived[], seldom surviving longer than 125 - 140 years[].
The tree has invasive roots and these often interfere with sewer pipes and drainage tiles around houses[].
The silver maple is a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[, ].

Edible Uses

The sap contains sugar and can be used as a drink or be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water[, , , ]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. It is said to be sweeter and whiter than that obtained from Acer saccharum[].

Self-sown seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or dried for later use[, ].

Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot[]. Good crops are produced nearly every year in the wild[]. The seed is about 12mm long and is produced in small clusters[].

Inner bark - cooked. It is dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[, , , ].

Medicinal

An infusion of the bark is used in the treatment of coughs, cramps and dysentery[]. A compound infusion is used in the treatment of 'female complaints'[].
The infusion of the bark is also applied externally to old, stubborn running sores[].

An infusion of the inner bark is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea[].
The inner bark is boiled and used with water as a wash for sore eyes[].

An infusion of the root bark has been used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[]. The branches are rather brittle, however, and can break off even in minor storms[].

Other Uses

We have two reports that the leaves of maple species, when laid in layers between crops such as apples, carrots and potatoes, have a preservative effect[, ]. The reports do not name any specific species[].

The stems are used in making baskets[].

The boiled inner bark yields a brown dye[]. Mixed with lead sulphate this produces a blue/black dye which can also be used as an ink[].
A black dye is obtained from the twigs and bark[].

The bark can be boiled, along with hemlock (Tsuga spp]) and swamp oak bark (Quercus bicolor) to make a wash to remove rust from iron and steel, and to prevent further rusting[].

The heartwood is pale brown; the thick layer of sapwood somewhat lighter. The wood is rather brittle, close-grained, hard, strong, easily worked but not durable. It takes a good polish. It weighs 32lb per cubic metre. It has many uses such as veneer, cooperage, furniture, flooring and pulp[, , , , , ].
The wood is a valuable fuel[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the spring in a cold frame. It usually germinates immediately and by the end of summer has formed a small tree with several pairs of leaves[]. Stored seed quickly loses its viability. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions.
Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus.
Cuttings of young shoots in early summer . The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.