Acer negundo Box Elder Maple
General
Box elder maples grow in a wide range of soil types, from clay to sand. They are commonly found in moist alluvial sites, but capable of growing in dry, droughty locations. Box elder maple is one of the less shade tolerant species of the maples, preferring full-sun, especially when young. Box Elder matures into a tree with a broad and rounded upper canopy while sustaining a shallow yet wide reaching root system. It is a fast-growing, short-lived tree with an average age of 60 years. Wood is close-grained, weak, brittle and very light. Wind-pollinated, but also valuable to pollinators.
Plant Description
Leaves are pinnately-compound with several leaflets (typically 3-5.) These characteristics also mirror ash species which can explain a second common name of the box elder maple: ash-leaved maple. This is the only native maple with a compound leaf. Leaves are opposite, with pale-colored pores. Male and female flowers are found on different individual trees with the female flowers ripening into the common maple-like winged seeds called samaras. The bark on young trees is smooth and gray/brown, and develops into a rougher appearing form with shallow fissures that have prominent ridges.
Height (ft)
60-80 (to 100)
Spread (ft)
30-40
Soil moisture
Highly variable from swamps/peat bogs up to dry ridges, but prefers moist, well-drained soils
Soil types
Tolerates a wide range of soil types, and all textures (fine/medium/coarse).
Wetland indicator
FAC
Shade tolerance
Full Sun-Part Shade
Bloom color
White, Inconspicuous
Bloom period
Early Spring
Fall conspicuous
Yes
Anaerobic tolerance
Medium
Drought tolerance
High
Salinity tolerance
Medium
Mono/dioecious
Dioecious
Distribution
Present in all of the 48 contiguous states. The most widespread species in the maple family, box elder maple reaches from the east to west coast of North America and extends as far south as Guatemala. For distribution map, click: http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Acer%20negundo.png
Additional information
Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK
Brooks, Henry and Dame, Lorin L. Handbook of the Trees of New England. Ginn & Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 1901. LINK
Fergus, Charles. Trees of New England: A Natural History. Morris Book Publishing, LLC. Guilford, Connecticut. 2005. LINK
Grimm, William Carey. The Illustrated Book of Trees. Revised by John Kartesz. Stackpole Books, Pennsylvania. 2002. LINK
Peattie, Donald Culross. A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America. Bonanza Books, New York. 1948. LINK
Sternberg, Guy and Wilson, Jim. Native Trees for North American Landscapes: from the Atlantic to the Rockies. Timber Press, Oregon. 2004. LINK
USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK