Bigleaf Maple
Acer macrophyllum
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Angilbas (en.wikipedia.org) at English Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Sapindaceae
- Genus:
- Acer
- Species:
- Acer macrophyllum
- USDA Symbol:
- ACMA3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3000 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Reported Fauna Sightings
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, pollinators
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow, orange
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from root crown and trunk after fire or cutting. Thick bark provides some fire resistance in mature trees.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers deep, fertile soils in forested areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–45 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require cold-moist stratification and light for best germination. Fresh seed germinates better than stored seed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seeds are soaked for 48 hours in water, then placed in open trays or plastic ziplock bags with moist perlite and stored in stratification rooms or refrigerator for 2 to 4 months. If the seed is dry, it is placed into cold running water for 48 hours prior to stratification.
Establishment: Seeds are collected between October 1st and December 1st. Samaras are brown at maturity. Seeds are collected from trees using a long pole pruner. Seeds can also be collected from the ground as a last resort. A. macrophyllum is found from Alaska to California, mostly west of the Cascade mountains. It is also found in west central Idaho.
Source: npn.rngr.net