Acer saccharinum seed

LATIN NAME: Acer saccharinum

COMMON NAME: Silver Maple

The silver maple silvers the undersides of the deeply lobed, pale green leaves, the dense clusters of the small, greenish flowers that open before the leaves, and the paired, winged fruits that spin down through the late spring. The bark of the young trees stays smooth and grey, the crown grows broad and open, and the whole tree carries the quick, generous habit of the riverside maple. The leaves flash silver in the wind, the roots run fast and wide, and the tree fills out faster than almost anything else in the garden. It likes the sun and the deep, moist ground, and it grows like a weed on the good soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The urban foresters know the silver maple as one of the fastest ways to canopy a new street, and the species shows up in their trials for the tolerance of the wet, compacted ground. The researchers study the wood structure, the rapid growth and the aggressive roots that can heave the pavements and the drains, the tree’s one real fault. The breeders have crossed it with the red maple for the quicker, tougher street selections, and the seed is among the easiest of the maples to raise.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

For the new garden, the silver maple is the quick canopy tree. The two-tone leaves flash silver in the wind, the soft pale timber serves for the crates, the pulp and the small turnery, and in the northern part of its range the sap makes a usable syrup. The squirrels and the birds take the seeds, and the broad crown shelters the understorey. It fills out faster than almost anything else, green within a few seasons.

The silver maple seeds germinate easily in a fine, loamy mix kept moist. The seedlings are quick and vigorous, and they grow on with the broad, silvery-backed leaves. Move them into the larger pots early, because the roots run fast, and keep them watered through the first summer. Plant them out into the deep, moist ground of the open site. The young trees make the impressive growth in the hurry, and the two-tone foliage shows from the first season.

To grow the silver maple from seed, sow the small, winged seeds directly across the surface of the shallow flat of fine, loamy mix, keep the flat in the bright, cool spot and water gently. The seedlings shoot up within a couple of weeks, and they grow on fast. Set the young trees where the ground stays deep and moist, and the broad crown will silver the garden within a few seasons.