Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Daniel Cahen
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Sapindaceae
- Genus:
- Acer
- Species:
- Acer saccharinum
- USDA Symbol:
- ACSA2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3600 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr
- Bloom Colors:
- red, yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★★☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Grote's Pinion (Lithophane grotei), American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Ashen Pinion (Lithophane antennata), Baltimore bomolocha moth (Hypena baltimoralis), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), Bethune's Pinion (Lithophane bethunei), bicolored sallow (Sunira bicolorago), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Chain-lined geometer moth (Cingilia catenaria), clandestine dart (Spaelotis clandestina), Colocasia flavicornis, Colocasia propinquilinea, Confused Morrisonia (Morrisonia confusa), Curve-lined looper (Lambdina fervidaria), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), fall cankerworm (Alsophila pometaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), Heterocampa biundata, hibiscus Quaker (Orthosia hibisci), Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Io moth (Automeris io), Lithophane laticinerea, maple borer (Synanthedon acerni), Maple leaf blotch miner (Cameraria aceriella), maple looper moth (Parallelia bistriaris), Maple tip borer moth (Episimus tyrius), maple twig borer (Proteoteras aesculana), maple-basswood leafroller (Sparganothis pettitana), Morrisonia latex, Mournful Thorn (Lambdina fiscellaria), Oslar's oakworm moth (Anisota oslari), Packard's Caloptilia Moth (Caloptilia packardella), Phyllonorycter clemensella, Phyllonorycter lucidicostella, Phyllonorycter trinotella, Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), Proteoteras moffatiana, Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda), Saddled Prominent (Heterocampa guttivitta), Smeared Dagger Moth (Acronicta oblinita), Sparganothis acerivorana, Spring cankerworm (Paleacrita vernata), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), sugarcane leafminer (Cameraria saccharella), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) Moths:American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Macaria pustularia, maple looper moth (Parallelia bistriaris), Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus), retarded dagger moth (Acronicta retardata), Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) Butterflies:⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, squirrels, small mammals
- Fall Color:
- yellow, pale yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, moist, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers floodplains and riverbanks
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 10–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in spring after cold stratification. Fresh seed has highest viability; store moist if not sowing immediately.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: None required
Establishment: Seeds are either collected from Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, LMU Campus, Cumberland Mt. Research Center or purchased from local people who collect within a 50 mile radius of the nursery. The fruit is two fused samaras that mature from April to June. The Silver maple is found in moist or wet soil, especially along river banks.
Source: npn.rngr.net