Scientific Name:
Acer saccharinum

Leaves:
4-6 in. in diameter. Dull green above, silvery-white beneath, and turning a pale yellow color in the autumn. Deeply 5 lobed.

Flowers:
Greenish yellow color. Usually appear in early spring

Buds:
Buds have sharp, prominent overlapping scales, similar to red maple but more of a reddish brown color

Bark:
Young trees have a silver gray color. Adult trees are gray. Bark becomes furrowed into long scaly shaggy ridges

Height:
Height of 60 to 80 ft.

Diameter:
Diameter of 2 to 3 ft

Range:
Southern Ontario east to New Brunswick, south to northwest Florida, west to east Oklahoma, north to northern Minnesota; to 2000 ft in elevation. Disjuncts found in eastern Louisiana and upper Michigan.

Other Info:
When twigs are crushed, a slightly unpleasant odor is noticed. Silver maple is used as an ornamental. Since the branches are brittle and break off during high winds and its fruit create a lot of litter, some communities do not permit its planting as a street tree. Sugar can be obtained from the sweetish sap but the yield is low.