Acer negundo (Boxelder)

A fast-establishing pioneer maple built for the toughest sites on a project, boxelder fills the gap between wet floodplain restoration and dry disturbed-ground reclamation where slower-growing natives need a nurse tree to get established first.

Species Overview

Acer negundo, commonly known as boxelder or ash-leaved maple, is a fast-growing, deciduous tree native to North America. It typically grows 30 to 50 feet tall with an irregular, rounded crown and often a short trunk that can divide into multiple stems. Unlike most maples, boxelder has compound leaves with three to seven leaflets, giving it a resemblance to ash trees. In early spring, it produces clusters of small, greenish-yellow flowers, followed by paired winged seeds (samaras) that persist into winter.

Application

• Pioneer plantings on disturbed or reclaimed sites (quarries, fill areas, construction corridors)
• Streambank and floodplain restoration, including sites with periodic flooding
• Erosion control on marginal, low-fertility, or compacted soils
• Windbreak and shelterbelt plantings
• Wildlife habitat component - seeds and cover support birds and small mammals

Growing Conditions / Specification Data

• Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
• Soil/Moisture Tolerance: Highly adaptable, from wet floodplains to dry, disturbed upland sites
• Drought Tolerance: High
• Flood Tolerance: High - Tolerates short-to-moderate periods of flooding (documented tolerance up to ~30 days during the active growing season); commonly found on floodplains, along waterways, and in low-lying wet places.
• Growth Rate: Rapid
• Growth Habit: Tree, often multi-stemmed with an irregular, rounded crown
• Mature Height: 30-50 ft.
• Fall Color: Yellow
• Bloom Color / Period: Greenish-yellow; March-April, before leaf-out
• Wetland Indicator Status: FAC (Facultative) - Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain region
• Native Range: The most widely distributed maple in North America, ranging from southern Canada through virtually the entire continental United States to Guatemala in the south and California in the west.
• Hydrology: Moist
• Root Depth: Very Deep (36 in.+) (40 in.)
• Deer Resistance: Some
• Shade Tolerance: Intolerant
• Salinity Tolerance: Moderate - tolerates roadside salt spray
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
• Pollinator Value: Supports bees (species-confirmed - Xerces Society "Special Value to Honey Bees"); larval host for Imperial Moth caterpillars
• Juglone Tolerance: Tolerant