Box Elder is a pretty tree throughout the seasons, but it is most admired in the fall, because of the vivid yellow-orange color.
Box Elder (Acer negundo)
Where do saplings go to learn?
- Elementree school!
Did you know?
- The wood is used to make crates, boxes, furniture, and interior finishing
- Box Elder produces sap high in sugar content and can be used to produce syrup sometimes called "mountain molasses”
- Native Americans would eat parts of it and boiled down the sap for syrup, candy, and made a tea from the inner bark to induce vomiting
- Native Americans used the new branches to make charcoal for ceremonial painting
- It is a species of Maple—you can tell from the genus name, “Acer”
Common Names:
- Box Elder
- Ash-leaved Maple
- Box Elder Maple
- Western Box Maple
Wildlife Benefits:
- There are 285 species of moths and butterflies that depend on Box Elder to survive their caterpillar stage!
- Seeds are eaten by many varieties of birds and squirrels
- Deer feed on the leaves and twigs
Habitat:
- Woodlands
Size:
- 35-50' tall, with a crown width of 30-60'
Growing Conditions:
- Full sun to partial shade
- Moist, well-drained soil
Select Identification Characteristics:
- Leaf Type: Pinnately Compound
- Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
- Bud Arrangement: Opposite
- Terminal Bud: Single
- *Stems: Green
