OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

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



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.

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

Trees You Want to Know (Peattie, 1934); illustration by F.A. Michaux    dcp34_p42a

        

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905)    mtna_i_728

        

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_acsa2_001_lvd

        

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

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).

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

JK Marlow    jkm110316_993

March    Greenville County    SC

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

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).

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_a_saccharinum_8

March    Floyd County    GA

Coosa River Nature Center

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

JK Marlow    jkm0504c_17

April    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

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).

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

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).

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

JK Marlow    s040517_e

May    Greenville County    SC

Roadside

Silvery undersides of the leaves are obvious in windy conditions, per Weakley's Flora.

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_acer_saccharinum_3

June        

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_acer_saccharinum

August        

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

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).

image of Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple, Soft Maple

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

 

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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)

map
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!



 


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