Sapindaceae family of flowering plants, which also includes the soapberry and lychee, also includes the sugar maple, Acer saccharin. Eastern Canada and the eastern United States are home to their native hardwood forests. The sugar maple is most recognized for producing the majority of maple syrup as well as for its vivid fall leaves.
Accer Saccharinum plant
Native to North America, sugar maples are a common sight in the eastern and central parts of both the United States and Canada. At the very least, you’ve probably noticed a sugar maple leaf on the Canadian flag. Even though the blooms are unassuming, they are nonetheless lovely.
They are greenish-yellow, five-separated, and dangle from branches on long stalks in April, before the leaves appear. Acer, the genus name, means “sharp,” and saccharin, which is the botanical name, means “sugar.” Long before the arrival of the Europeans, Native Americans used sugar maples for more than just their syrup.
Plant Overview
Common Name: silver maple
Type: Tree
Family: Sapindaceae
Native Range: Eastern North America
Zone: 3 to 9
Height: 50.00 to 80.00 feet
Spread: 35.00 to 70.00 feet
Bloom Time: March
Bloom Description: Greenish-yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Insignificant
How to Grow Accer Saccharinum plant
Silver maple is a 50–100-foot-tall, quickly growing tree. As the plant ages, the grayish-brown bark changes to a shaggy appearance. However, there are still others who adore the tree; if you’re one of them, you should know that planting silver maples in the early spring is best.
Accer Saccharinum plant Care
The silver maple performs better in wet areas than many other trees because its natural habitat is floodplains. Fortunately, the tree doesn’t require moist soil, giving you some flexibility in deciding where to put it.
However, it functions best in direct sunlight. The silver maple requires a lot of upkeep. It has flimsy branches that frequently break during wind and snowstorms, adding to your workload as you have to clear the debris.
Pruning
Pruning is the main task involved in owning and caring for a silver maple. It will require pruning to keep the main limbs’ diameters at or below half of the trunks. Succumbing to rot or disease. Any pruning cuts must be kept very small, which is why it is so critical to prune for the desired growth structure early on.
Propagating
The volunteer method is the simplest technique to grow a silver maple from a seed or through propagation. Dig them up, put the seedlings in a container that is big enough for a healthy root system to form, and fill it with peat, sand, vermiculite, perlite, or any other quality soilless mix. Then, observe the growth of your volunteer silver maple.
Soil
Although tolerant of a variety of soil types, moisture in the soil is the one characteristic you should look for when considering silver maples. When planting your tree, keep in mind that silver maples do not fare well in dry soil. In an ideal situation, you should plant your tree in slightly organically rich, moist to damp, well-draining soil. Your tree will flourish if you give it this dirt.
Water
Once it is established, your silver maple shouldn’t need more watering if it is cultivated in the right environment and area. When you plant your tree and for the first two seasons after that, you should water it frequently until you are certain it is well-established. Observe the 2 to 3 gallon per caliper inch of trunk diameter rule.
Temperature and Humanity
The eastern seaboard, with its temperate springs and falls, chilly winters, and humid, warm summers, is where silver maples thrive. In a nutshell, it has four distinct seasons with a variety of mild temperature ranges that generate a sizable amount of moisture. Your maple’s hardiness will be tested if it is planted somewhere other than the USDA 3a–9a zone, and it will suffer.
Pests and Dieses
Fortunately, you can use a chemical management method to eliminate the majority of pests. The gall mite is frequently the most noticeable insect because of the growths or galls it leaves behind on the leaves.
There is no need for treatment because they cause no harm to the tree and only last a short time. A number of illnesses also affect silver maples. Wilting, dead branches, and sapwood that have turned a dark green color are signs.