Scientific Family
Aceraceae
Synonyms
Acer violaceum, Negundo aceroides, Negundo mexicanum, Negundo negundo, Rulac negundo, Rulac texana
Other common names
ash-leaf maple
ashleaf maple
box elder
boxelder maple
California boxelder
Manitoba maple
western boxelder
Plant type
Trees
Riparian
Yes
Plant Description
Origin
Native
Broad, rounded dense crown. Grows rapidly as a cultivated large shade tree. Relatively short lived. In nature, more likely to be a multi-trunk shrub, 10 to 15 feet. Has widest range of all North American maples.
Broadleaf tree, rounded, often multi-stemmed; leaves opposite, compound with 3 to 5 toothed, ovate to elliptical leaflets, terminal leaflet long stalked; leaf surfaces hairy at first, bright green, lighter green below, yellow-brown in fall.
Height
50 feet
Width
50 feet
Habitat
Habitat description
Riparian habitats and other wet wooded areas.
Plant Community
Riparian
Low elevation
3200
High elevation
8000
Leaves
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Leaf Drop
Deciduous
Leaves are pinnately compound. Bright green above and light green, hairy beneath, thick, 6 inches long with 3 to 7 toothed leaflets to 4 inches long. Turns yellowish-brown in fall.
Flowers
Flower color
Yellowish-green
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
May
Female inflorescences are droopy, aggregates of cup-like, 3/16 inch long flowers that lack petals and stamens and have exserted stigmas. Male flowers are in flat-topped clusters and have long exserted stamens.
Flower clusters
Elongated
Fruit
Fruit color
Brown
Fruit type
Winged
2-paired winged seed cases to 1-1/2 inches long, paired, clustered and V-shaped.