Boxelder Maple
Botanical Name: Acer Negundo Other Names: Manitoba maple
Family: Sapindaceae Native to: Eastern North America, Interior North America
Hardy to zone: 2
Natural habitat: barren or disturbed ground
Shapes: irregular
Height: 50-70ft
width: 20-40ft
Growth rate: fast
Lifespan: 50-100 years
Common uses: reforestation
Insects: boxelder bug
Diseases: anthracnose
Light: full sun
Transplanting: easy
Soil: tolerates heavy clay, tolerates wet feet, drought tolerant, ph adaptable
A Fast growing, weak-wooded tree often seen in abandoned cityscapes. It can be considered somewhat invasive due to its high seed germination rate. This maple can be tapped for maple syrup, but the taste is more plain than other maples more commonly used. Not often planted in a landscape but can be used as a last resort where nothing else will grow. One exception is the Acer Negundo 'Flamingo', a cultivar with pink edges on the leaves.
Leaves
Unlike most maples, the leaves are compound, often inconsistent in shape with many leaflets. Like other maples, they are opposite in arrangement. The colour is normally light green with a yellow/green fall colour.
Twigs & Buds
Younger twigs are often green and segmented like bamboo. Buds have white hairs on the edges.
Seeds & Fruit
Keys/samara point down on a sharp angle and are stacked on-top of each-other in clusters.
