Scientific Name
Acer saccharinum
Silver maple is appropriately named because so many parts of it have a decided silvery cast. The reverse sides of the leaves change the look of the canopy when a breeze blows, the smooth young bark and even the mature bark that peels off in long vertical strips. This tree is also known because of the abundant spring seeds that many people call “helicopters.” All maple species have these winged double seeds called samaras, but those of silver maple are the largest. This tree is also one of the earliest to flower in the spring, long before the leaves appear. By keeping an eye on the branches in the late winter or early spring, you’ll be able to perceive the swelling of the flower buds, which were already formed the previous fall, well before they open. Plants that flower early in the spring mainly depend on the wind to spread their pollen since there are few insects available then to do the job. Pollen spread is facilitated by being shed when there is little or no foliage on the tree. Silver maples become large shade trees but don’t often exceed a height of 75 to 80 feet, though the Colorado champions surpass 100 feet. This tree is native to much of the eastern half of the United States, where it favors wet sites, but it’s also quite happy in the Colorado drought-prone climate.
Silver maple has historically been one of the most common trees in Denver and was planted by the thousands in the first 75 years of the urban development, but it’s hardly ever used nowadays. It was popular in the past because of its fast growth rate and its adaptability to the soil and climate of this area. Many silver maples were also planted on the Regis campus in the first half of the 20th century. However, with maturity, the tree eventually proved troublesome because it was not very long-lived (80 years might be an average life span here) and its relatively weak wood resulted in considerable damage from large limbs breaking during frequent heavy wet snows in spring and fall. The summer canopies of the remaining silver maples conceal much past limb breakage, but during the winter the damage is visible for all to see. Luckily the high percentage of the urban canopy consisting of this tree did not prove vulnerable to a mass mortality event as happened with the American elm, the American chestnut and now, with the ash species. At this point, the silver maples have been dying off gradually from natural causes and are being replaced with other tree species. One might wonder whether there will be any remaining silver maples along the front range in another 50 years!