Silver Maple Research Paper

Location Silver maple, also known as acer saccharinum is the most common maple species to be found in the United States and is found usually in wet areas throughout central and eastern North America, including right near us in southern Ontario!

Size The Silver maple is a quick growing species that can live up to 130 years. The tree commonly reaches a height of 15-25 m with a trunk of about 100cm in diameter.

Physical appearance Silver maple is a deciduous tree with simple and palmate leaves usually resembling a star shape. The leaves are green, however turn yellow to brown in the fall and typically range from 4 to 8 inches and 2 to 4 inches each, with about 5 to 7 deeply cut lobes. The leaves and twigs have an opposite arrangement of branching and the branches generally extend upwards. Buds are shiny, red, conical and carry 6-10 scales. Fruit from the Silver maple matures in the spring along with the leaves unlike any other maples, but only develops one seed per pair of Samara. Towards the beginning of the trees lifespan the bark is smooth and gray, but as the tree ages the bark shags and thin strips begin to peel on the ends. With its leaf veins, embryo with two cotyledons and broad leaves the Silver Maple is well considered a dicot.

They reproduce rapidly with its seeds which need pollinating. Within 24 hours after pollination, flower parts wither and ovaries swell up and 3 weeks later the seeds finally develop into Samaras. The Silver Maple species is an angiosperm as the leaves change colors with the seasons and also because the mature seed is surrounded by an