#SILVER MAPLE WINTER FREE#

Honeybees gather pollen from the flowers, but are not important in pollination, as the pistillate flowers lack nectar and are not visited by bees. Like other native maples, this species supports numerous insect herbivores, including many moths, leafhoppers, aphids, beetles, and scale insects. The upper branches of large trees are sometimes used as a communal roosting site for various native species of blackbirds as well as European starlings. The foliage is eaten by deer and rabbits, and the bark is eaten by beavers. The seeds are an important food for larger birds as well as squirrels and chipmunks. The weak wood, prone to rot, combined with the large, thick branches of this tree, creates convenient nesting sites for cavity-nesting birds. The buds of silver maple, which are quite large, are an important food source for squirrels in the early spring, when stores of winter nuts are becoming exhausted but other food sources have not yet emerged. Trees can live up to 130 years, possibly longer, but many trees are short-lived. However, the thin bark and shallow root system make this tree easily killed by fire. The root system is also able to quickly regenerate if damaged by prolonged periods of flooding. Young trees resprout prolifically if mechanically damaged. Often grows with multiple trunks, or branches low on the trunk into multiple, heavy branches. Germination is best on moist mineral soils with considerable organic matter, but seeds can also germinate in dense leaf litter.Ī fast-growing tree, the wood is brittle and weak. However, seeds germinating on bare soil spread their cotyledons and use them as photosynthetic structures. If seeds are buried, they germinate underground and only send up shoots later. However, some seeds may survive the winter and not germinate until the following spring, especially in northerly climates. Seeds germinate immediately and do not require cold stratification, and most will germinate immediately if conditions are right. Seeds are usually released during a period of about 2 weeks. Seeds are strongly attached and typically only released in high winds, leading the relatively large seeds to travel farther than is typical for maples. Seeds are dispersed mostly by wind, with water playing a supporting role for some seeds. Flowers very early, in late winter to early spring, with seeds maturing in spring to early summer. Seed production is consistent from year to year. Seedlings can survive in saturated soil, especially if initially given a chance to establish before flooding begins, but perform best when soil is not fully saturated.īegins producing seed at 11 years of age at the earliest.

Sprouts from seed, usually in summer to fall, but sometimes spring as well.

#SILVER MAPLE WINTER FREE#

Mostly found at low elevations and becomes less common as elevation increases.Īlthough it can survive on drier sites, it is not found on them in the wild due to its poor ability to compete with other species better suited to these sites.Įasily killed by fire and limited to sites free of fire.

Also occurs in disturbed, small fragments of forest in cities, along railroads, roadways, and industrial areas, especially in areas prone to flooding from streams or rivers, and resembling its natural habitat. Less frequently found in wetlands with stagnant water. Trees often grow right up to the water's edge. Found especially in floodplains along rivers, streams, and moving water, also sometimes at lake margins. Almost exclusively limited to wet bottomlands.

Silver maple winter