Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Sapindales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Acer saccharinum
FAMILY
Sapindaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
You may also want to check Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina
Read more about Silver Maple at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Acer saccharinum
FAMILY
Aceraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 115-01-005:
Acer saccharinum FAMILY Aceraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Argentacer saccharinum
COMMON NAME:
Silver Maple, Soft Maple
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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Trees You Want to Know (Peattie, 1934); illustration by F.A. Michaux dcp34_p42a
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Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905) mtna_i_728
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_acsa2_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm110316_989
March Greenville County SC
Samara wing is coarse, 3-5.5cm long; body is thick, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm110316_993
March Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm110316_994
March Greenville County SC
At 1.75", the largest wings of any native maple, per The Sibley Guide to Trees (Sibley, 2009).
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_a_saccharinum_8
March Floyd County GA
Coosa River Nature Center
)
JK Marlow jkm0504c_17
April Greenville County SC
Roadside
)
JK Marlow jkm0405r_33
May Greenville County SC
Roadside
Leaves slightly larger than Red Maple, deeply 5-lobed and long-pointed, per The Native Maples of Georgia (Ware, 2003).
)
JK Marlow s040517_d
May Greenville County SC
Roadside
Sinuses V-shaped; margins irregularly double-toothed, per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).
)
JK Marlow s040517_e
May Greenville County SC
Roadside
Silvery undersides of the leaves are obvious in windy conditions, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_acer_saccharinum_3
June
)
Richard and Teresa Ware rtw_acer_saccharinum
August
)
JK Marlow s041204_a
December Greenville County SC
Roadside
The middle lobe of most leaves narrows towards its base, per Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988).
)
JK Marlow s041204_b
December Greenville County SC
Roadside
Fall color usually a pale chalky yellow, per The Sibley Guide to Trees (Sibley, 2009).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Acer saccharinum
FAMILY
Sapindaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Acer saccharinum
FAMILY
Aceraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 115-01-005:
Acer saccharinum
FAMILY
Aceraceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Argentacer saccharinum
15
Tree
Perennial
Monoecious or dioecious
Habitat: Bottomlands, riverbanks, and disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Uncommon (south of NC, more often an escape from cultivation than a native)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Does not have milky sap
LEAVES:
Deciduous
Simple
Opposite
FLOWER:
Spring
Greenish-yellow/ Red
Radially symmetrical
5 sepals
Petals absent
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Schizocarp composed of two 1-seeded samaras
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Identifying Trees: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America (Williams, 2007) p264
- Landscaping with Native Trees (Sternberg & Wilson, 1995) p041
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007) p059
- The Sibley Guide to Trees (Sibley, 2009) p336
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p089
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p14
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p048
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