As a shade tree silver maple has been used extensively in Iowa, mostly because of its fast growth rate.
It is one of the largest trees in Iowa attaining heights of often a 100 feet and from 4-5 feet in diameter.įall color of silver maple ranges from green-yellow brown to yellow to brown. Silver maple is a fast growing tree, often growing 4-6 feet in height each year. It prefers moist locations such as these bottomlands, but is quite tolerant of a wide range of sites from moderately wet to quite sandy and dry. It is usually found in association with cottonwoods, willows, boxelder, green ash, hackberry, and black walnut. It can be found on stream banks and floodplains and is a common component of the bottomland forests. The bark is smooth, light gray on young trees it eventually separates into irregular rows of long, scaly, ashy colored plates on older trees. The fruit is a broad angle double samara, 1-2 1/2 inches long and matures in late spring or early summer. The tree flowers very early in the spring flowers are tiny, red in color and often hidden by the bud scales. The flower buds are formed in conspicuous clumps. The buds are bright red to dark reddish purple, 1/8 to 1/4 inch in length. Silver Maple Flower Buds - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University Seed Stratification: No stratification period is needed. Site requirements vary with the species of maple.
Site Requirements: Maple trees perform best in moist, well-drained soils. Height: Mature height varies with species. Tree canopies may be very dense or wide spreading. Mature Shape: Maples typically have a large, rounded crown. Slower growing maples have heavier, harder wood, making them less susceptible to branch and limb drop. Maples that are fast growing tend to have weak wood and may suffer from wind and ice damage. When selecting a maple tree, be sure to select a species suited for Iowa's weather. Most fall into zones 4 through 8, but some are less tolerant of cold or heat than others. Habitat: Grows on dry open woods, rocky bluffs and pastures. Silver Maple Tree - Photo by Paul Wray, Iowa State University Winter twigs are rather slender, dull red or red-brown in color with v-shaped leaf scars. The pale undersurface often gives the tree a "silvery" appearance from a distance in the gentle breezes. The lobes are often very deep the margins of the leaves are toothed and the upper surface is bright green while the lower surface is silvery, white in color. The leaves are opposite, simple, and palmately lobed with five lobes. Silver maple ( Acer saccharinum) is the fastest growing maple either native or planted in Iowa.
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