Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous
Leaf Margin: Lobed
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Inflorescence: Raceme
Fruit Type: Samara
Size Notes: Height 30-100 feet, spread 30-50 feet or more, diameter 2 to 4 ft.
Leaf: Blue-green turning reddish-yellow in the Fall. Dark green above and lighter green below.
Autumn Foliage: yes
Flower:
Fruit: Double samaras with wings, green turning brownish, tan when ripe. 1 3/4 to 2 inches long.
Size Class: 36-72 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Green , Brown
Bloom Time: Apr , May
Bloom Notes: Flowers follow leaves in Spring.

Distribution

USA: CA , OR , WA
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: Cismontane CA, n. to B.C.
Native Habitat: Higher altitude stream banks & moist canyons; below 5000 ft.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Cool, moist soils.
Conditions Comments: This plant needs a spacious setting. Underplanting is often difficult. The high productivity of seeds can make this an invasive species.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: A handsome shade tree and particularly showy in autumn, it is popular on the Pacific Coast.
Use Wildlife: Important forage for deer, squirrels and other wildlife.
Use Food: Maple sugar can be obtained from sap and maple flowers are sweet and edible and can be used in salads. Young shoots can be eaten raw in the spring.
Use Other: Coastal peoples use the wood to make dishes, paddles, the inner bark for baskets, ropes. Thin strips of inner sapwood used to make clothing by various indigenous peoples. Wood used for weft in basketry and for lances, counting sticks, and toys by indigenous Californians. The only western maple with wood of commercial importance, it is used for veneer, furniture, handles, woodenware, and novelties.
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds , Softwood Cuttings
Description: Use fresh seed.
Seed Collection: The winged fruit of maples is called a samara. Seed is usually not extracted from the samara.
Seed Treatment: Stratify seeds for 2 months.
Commercially Avail: yes
Maintenance: Do not prune in Spring.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Acer macrophyllum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Acer macrophyllum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Acer macrophyllum