Acer saccharinum

La pianta

Scientific name: Acer saccharinum
Family: Sapindaceae
Common name: Silver Maple, Silverleaf Maple
Origin: Eastern and central North America
Category: Fast-growing ornamental deciduous tree

Habit: Upright, vigorous and broadly spreading, with an irregular, open crown and often slightly pendulous branches. Develops a strong trunk and gracefully arching main branches. Ideal as a large ornamental tree for parks, spacious gardens and moist areas.

Size: Height 1500–2500 cm, occasionally up to 3000 cm. Width 1000–1800 cm.

Foliage: Palmately lobed, deeply 5-lobed leaves, light green on the upper surface and silvery-white underneath. In autumn, foliage turns yellow, yellow-orange and sometimes reddish. Deciduous.

Flowering: Late winter–early spring, generally March–April, before the leaves are fully developed. Small reddish-green flowers borne in axillary clusters. Secondary ornamental value.

Fruiting: Relatively large paired samaras with widely diverging wings. Ripening in spring–early summer. Moderate ornamental value.

Exposure: Full sun–partial shade. Also tolerates light shade, although good light promotes a more compact growth habit.

Soil: Moist, deep, fertile and consistently fresh, preferably well-drained but tolerant of temporary waterlogging. Adaptable to clay, loamy and slightly acidic soils. Poorly suited to very dry soils.

Watering: Moderate to high water requirement. Water regularly during hot periods and throughout the first years after planting. Mature trees tolerate short dry periods but perform best with consistent moisture.

Hardiness: Approximately –25 to –30 °C. Extremely cold hardy and well suited to continental climates.

Tolerances: Excellent cold tolerance. Good tolerance of moist and temporarily waterlogged soils. Moderate tolerance of urban pollution. Sensitive to prolonged drought, intense heat and excessively compacted soils.

Pruning: Formative pruning during the first years, preferably in late winter. Remove dead, damaged or weak branches and correct problematic forks. Avoid severe pruning, as the branches can be relatively brittle.

Pests and diseases: Possible attacks by aphids, scale insects, spider mites and wood-boring insects. Possible Verticillium wilt, cankers and root rot under unfavorable conditions. Branches may be susceptible to breakage during strong winds or heavy snowfall.