Acer saccharinum
Silver Maple
a perennial woody deciduous member of the Acer genus in the family Aceraceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The sap contains sugar and can be used as a drink or be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water[19][22][23][5]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. The yield is only half that of A. saccharum[10]. It is said to be sweeter and whiter than A. saccharum[9]. The sap can be harvested in the late winter, the flow is best on warm sunny days following a frost. The best sap production comes from cold-winter areas with continental climates. Self-sown seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or dried for later use[7][13]. Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot[13]. Good crops are produced nearly every year in the wild[16]. The seed is about 12mm long and is produced in small clusters[23]. Inner bark - cooked. It is dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[2][6][7][18].
- Plant part
- Inner bark
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Sap
- Plant part
- Seed
- Product or use
- Sweetener
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
An infusion of the bark is used in the treatment of coughs, cramps and dysentery[18]. The infusion is also applied externally to old, stubborn running sores[18]. A compound infusion is used in the treatment of 'female complaints'[18]. The inner bark is boiled and used with water as a wash for sore eyes[18]. An infusion is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea[18]. An infusion of the root bark has been used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[18].
- Product or use
- Antispasmodic
- Product or use
- Astringent
- Product or use
- Ophthalmic
- Product or use
- Skin
- Product or use
- VD
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[8][11]. A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[12]. The branches are rather brittle, however, and can break off even in minor storms[14]. The stems are used in making baskets[18]. The boiled inner bark yields a brown dye[3]. Mixed with lead sulphate this produces a blue/black dye which can also be used as an ink[3]. A black dye is obtained from the twigs and bark[18]. The bark can be boiled, along with hemlock (Tsuga spp]) and swamp oak bark (Quercus bicolor) to make a wash to remove rust from iron and steel, and to prevent further rusting[18]. Wood - rather brittle, close-grained, hard, strong, easily worked but not durable. It weighs 32lb per cubic metre. It has many uses such as veneer, cooperage, furniture, flooring and pulp[4][21][23][15][17].
- Product or use
- Dye
- Product or use
- Preservative
- Product or use
- Rust treatments
- Product or use
- Wood
Ecology and functions
- Ecosystem niche
- Canopy
Environment
- Range
- Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.
- Habitat
- Banks of rivers, usually in sandy soils[20][23]. Trees are occasionally found in deep often submerged swamps[23].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 3+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Tolerances
- high wind
- Wind
- Yes
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the spring in a cold frame. It usually germinates immediately and by the end of summer has formed a small tree with several pairs of leaves[23]. Stored seed quickly loses its viability. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions. Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus. Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil[1][4] but does well in much wetter soils than most member of the genus. Succeeds in most soils including chalk[24]. Another report says that this species is liable to become chlorotic as a result of iron deficiency when it is grown on alkaline soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a moderately sunny position[4][12]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[12]. Fairly wind-tolerant[12]. The wood is brittle and branches are liable to break off the tree in high winds[4][12]. Trees can tolerate short periods of flooding, but are very susceptible to fire[16]. A very ornamental[1] and fast growing tree[4][24], but it is short-lived[15], seldom surviving longer than 125 - 140 years[16]. The tree has invasive roots and these often interfere with sewer pipes and drainage tiles around houses[14]. The silver maple is a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[8][11].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649
Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0292780206
Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622
Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00
Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.