Scientific Name
Acer saccarinum 'Laciniata'
Silver maple has historically been one of the most common deciduous trees in the Front Range urban forests, though it is seldom planted anymore. Still, there are many remaining in older cities. A small number of these trees have a "cutleaf" look that is often overlooked. These trees have lacy, deeply notched leaves, giving them a much lighter and more delicate appearance than most others of their kind. The more open look of the canopy compared to the usual species almost gives it a dryland tree’s appearance. The narrower form and lower mature height are also typical of the cutleaf tree. One thing that the cutleaf and the standard form have in common is the silvery, shaggy bark.
When silver maples were being planted in bulk in the Denver area in the first half of the 20th century, some of the horticultural experts at the time commented that a certain small percentage of cutleaf trees routinely arrived in shipments of nursery stock. It is not thought that the Regis tree is that old, though. There has been dispute over the years about whether these are a legitimate variety, subspecies, or a cultivar. Several were discovered very early. The ‘Wagner’ in Germany in 1865 and the ‘Wieri’ a bit later near Rochester, NY. Others came into commerce more recently, the ‘Skinneri’ in 1934 from Kansas and the ‘Beebe’ in 1953. There’s no record of the Regis tree’s pedigree, so we are simply using the current convention of calling it part of the Laciniatum group.