Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum
- Plant Type
- Tree (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Canopy
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 💧 Regular, 💧💧 High, 💧💧💧 Wet
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt, Organic / Peat, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
- 🔑 Keystone
- Acer is a keystone genus supporting 280 lepidoptera species in the region. Silver maple's early spring bloom provides critical pollen for emerging bees, and its large canopy offers nesting cavities for Wood Duck, Screech Owl, and tree squirrels. The genus supports iconic species including Luna Moth, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and Rosy Maple Moth.
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Acronicta retardata, Eubaphe mendica, Dryocampa rubicunda, Nymphalis antiopa, Paonias myops, Orgyia definita, Acronicta interrupta, Pyrrharctia isabella, Xanthotype sospeta, Papilio glaucus, Acronicta funeralis, Callosamia promethea, Campaea perlata, Paonias excaecatus, Actias luna
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Buds provide a critical late-winter food source for gray squirrels and fox squirrels when stored food supplies are exhausted. Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Northern Cardinal, and Ruffed Grouse consume Acer seeds and buds. Wood Duck and goldeneye ducks use silver maple as a preferred nesting tree on floodplains.
S57 7 bird species; S41 squirrel buds, duck nesting; S10 mammals
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Ranked S5 (Secure) in Ontario and S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec. Not listed under SARA. The S3 Quebec rank reflects the species' restricted natural habitat along major rivers and floodplains in the southern portion of the province, though it is commonly planted as an ornamental throughout urban areas.
S22 S5 ON, S3 QC; S26 not SARA listed; S41 restricted to floodplains
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Silver maple is a characteristic dominant of floodplain forests along major rivers and lake edges throughout the St. Lawrence Lowlands and Ottawa Valley. It thrives on moist alluvial soils and tolerates prolonged spring flooding better than competing species. In the Outaouais, it forms small groves along the Ottawa and Gatineau rivers, often with American elm, green ash, and eastern cottonwood.
S41 floodplain dominant; S12 riviu00e8re des Outaouais; S63 Common both sides
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier, Nutrient Accumulator, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Nutrient Accumulator: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, 7-2, pp. 96, 116)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 22 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 6-2, 7-2, pp. 96, 116)]
- Notes
- PFAF reports silver maple as a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby vegetation. Its shallow, aggressive root system competes heavily for water and nutrients, and its dense canopy creates deep shade. Leaves packed around stored apples and root crops may help preserve them.
S29 bad companion; S41 invasive roots; S29 leaf preservation
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Analgesic, Antidiarrheal, Antispasmodic, Astringent, Dermatological Aid, Diuretic, Eye Medicine, Gynecological Aid, Venereal Aid
S28 Cherokee, Chippewa, Mohegan, Ojibwa uses; S29 bark infusion
- Notes
- Cherokee used bark infusions for cramps, dysentery, hives, measles, sore eyes, and female complaints. Chippewa boiled bark as a wash for old running sores. Mohegan took bark infusion for coughs. Southern Ojibwa used inner bark decoction for diarrhea and as a diuretic; Bois Fort Ojibwa used root bark infusion for gonorrhea. Iroquois combined sap with thimbleberries as a medicine.
S28 16 medicinal uses across 6 nations; S29 bark for coughs, dysentery, sore eyes
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →✅ Edible
- Foraging Notes
- Sap can be tapped for syrup, though yield is roughly half that of sugar maple. Indigenous peoples (Cherokee, Chippewa, Dakota, Iroquois, Ojibwa, Omaha) used the sap to make sugar and beverages. Self-sown seedlings can be eaten fresh or dried. Seeds may be boiled and eaten. Inner bark was dried, ground into flour, and used as a thickener or mixed into bread.
- Toxicity
-
△ Low Toxicity
Cornell lists silver maple as toxic to horses; wilted or dried leaves contain gallic acid, which can cause oxidative damage to equine red blood cells (red maple toxicosis also applies to silver maple). No toxicity concerns documented for humans, livestock other than horses, or companion animals. PFAF reports no known hazards.
Seed Source
- Blue Sea