Click on the images help you identify a silver maple.
Form
Height reaches 100 feet or more, with a trunk diameter of up to 36 inches. The trunk is usually short but divides into several long, thick, ascending limbs that further divide. Small branches droop but turn upward at the tips, forming a broad, rounded crown.
Bark
Bark on young branches is smooth and varies in color from reddish to yellowish gray. Bark on older branches is dark gray and broken into long flakes or scales.
Leaf
Leaves are simple, opposite on the stem, and 4 to 6 inches long. They have three to five lobes ending in long points with toothed edges, separated by deep, angular openings. The upper surface is pale green, and the underside is silvery, turning pale yellow to orange in autumn. Buds are rounded and red or reddish brown.
Fruit (seed)
Fruit consists of paired winged seeds (samaras), 1 to 2 inches long, on slender, flexible, threadlike stems about an inch in length.
Range
Common in southern Minnesota, especially along rivers and wetland areas, and scattered northward to the upper Mississippi River. The species is moderately shade intolerant and fast growing.
Wood uses
The wood is light brown, strong, fairly hard, even-textured, rather brittle, and easily worked, but it decays readily when exposed to weather or soil. It is occasionally used for flooring, furniture, and fuel, and is often mixed with red maple for commercial purposes. While extensively planted as a shade and ornamental tree, it should be avoided near buildings due to susceptibility to storm damage and a tendency to decay and drop large branches. The tree may also be tapped for sap.