General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Wet
Wet Mesic
Mesic
Dry Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Strongly acid (5.1 – 5.5)
Moderately acid (5.6 – 6.0)
Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Slightly alkaline (7.4 – 7.8)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 2 -45.6 °C (-50 °F) to -42.8 °C (-45°F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 10b
Plant Height: 30-50 feet (fast-growing)
Plant Spread: 30-50 feet
Leaves: Deciduous
Other: Leaves are light to medium green, turning an undistinguished yellow in fall.
Fruit: Other: tan paired samaras
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Fall
Late fall or early winter
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: Green
Other: Greenish-yellow
Flower Time: Spring
Other: March to April
Uses: Shade Tree
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Pollinators: Bees
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Dioecious
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:
Conservation status: Least Concern
Image
Common names
  • Boxelder
  • Ash-Leaf Maple
  • Box Elder
  • Box Elder Maple
  • Manitoba Maple
  • Maple
  • Ash-Leaved Maple
  • Fresno de Guajuco
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Acer negundo
  • Synonym: Acer negundo f. auratum
  • Synonym: Acer negundo f. aureomarginatum
  • Synonym: Acer negundo var. variegatum

Photo Gallery
Location: Des Plaines, IL
Date: late April
Flowers just starting to open while a woodpecker does some housec
Location: Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Date: 2023-04-15
Acer negundo in bloom
Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
Date: 2024-04-07
close-up of flower clusters
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Date: 2021-04-20
Young box elder leaves being bathed in a late season snow shower.
Location: Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Date: 2023-04-15
Acer negundo - new leaves emerge just beyond the blooms at the ti
Location: Provo Canyon, Utah County, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-06-07
Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2017-08-28
Location: Aberdeen, NC (S. Sycamore street)
Date: June 3, 2023
Box elder # 474; RAB p. 688, 115-1-4; AG page 118, 29-4-1; LHB pa
Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
Date: 2024-04-07
long shot of flowers
Location: Sunken Garden, Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, United States
Date: 2021-08-22
Location: Zion NP, UT
Date: 2015-02-20
Location: The Park
Date: 2012-1026
Tree has been removed.
Location: Terrace garden left side.
Date: 2010-0412
It's the tall one, not the magnolia!
Location: Terrace garden left side.
Date: 2011-0826
Photo taken the day before the storm, Irene, hit our area and des
Location: Terrace garden left side.
Date: 2011-0830
The stump remaining.
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-12-13
old dying specimen
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2011-11-01
Location: Aberdeen, NC (S. Sycamore street)
Date: June 3, 2023
Box elder # 474; RAB p. 688, 115-1-4; AG page 118, 29-4-1; LHB pa
Photo by Borisw37
Location: Lilburn, GA
Date: 2019-10-02
Old growth tree
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2013-10-29

Credit NPS

Credit NPS
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-04-11
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-04-11
Location: City Creek Canyon, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
Date: 2020-04-09
A large tree that was cut down but that is resprouting.
Location: Lilburn, GA
Date: 2018-06-24
Old growth tree
Location: National Botanic Garden of Belgium
Date: September
credit: Quentin Groom
Location: The Park
Date: 2012-1026
Removed it since I've had it elsewhere and it's not a desirable t
Location: Terrace garden left side.
Date: 2011-0702
It was the dominant plant in the area.
Location: Terrace garden left side.
Date: 2011-0829
Acer Negundo/Boxelder is very weakly limbed as you can see from t
Location: View from interior. We were very fortunate that none of the limbs hit the house.
Date: 2011-0829
Scary view to see from the living room, first thing in the mornin

photo credit:  Jerry Oldenettel
Location: northern Maryland
Date: 2008-05-01
full-grown tree
Location: Wheaton, Illinois
Date: 2014-08-19
maturing tree at small zoo
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-08-10
maturing tree in field
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2015-11-26
tan maple samaras
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-08-10
immature seed and summer leaves
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2013-10-29

Date: 2012-12-14
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2013-10-29
Location: central Illinois
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-03-28
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-03-28
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-04-11
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-04-11
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-04-11
Location: Murray, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-04-11
Location: Brownstown Pennsylvania
Date: 2016-06-30
Photo by robertduval14

USDA photo
Location: Pleasant Grove, Utah
Date: 2012-04-02
This is an undesirable tree in my area because it is the breeding
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-10-21
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-01-31
trees in winter
Location: Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Date: 2011-08-10
trunks and bark
This plant is tagged in:
Image

Comments:
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Feb 7, 2018 9:22 PM concerning plant:
    Boxelder or Ash-leaved Maple is a very common tree in bottomlands, swamps, and along watercourses the most, but also upland sites in a large native range from New York down to northwest Florida to central Texas up the Great Plaines to southern Alberta-Saskatchewan- Manitoba back through most of Minnesota, much of Wisconsin, southern Michigan with some spots in the tip of southeast Ontario. It has yellowish-green 3 to 5 leaflets that turn a poor light yellow in fall. Plain brown furrowed bark and stout green twigs. It is a common pioneer tree species colonizing open fields and producing an open pioneer forest with Silver Maple, Black Willow, Eastern Cottonwood, Green Ash, Mulberry, Black Walnut, American Sycamore, Black Locust, Slippery Elm, and invasive species as Tree-of-heaven and Siberian Elm. It is often considered a weed tree that grows in unkempt and abandoned alleys, industrial sites, yards, fencerows, and such waste places.
    It is fast growing of 3 to 4 feet/year and lives less than 100 years. I don't know of anyone who sells or buys this species. It is still useful in nature for various beneficial insects and wildlife.
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Apr 22, 2012 12:49 PM concerning plant:
    Honey bees get nectar, light olive pollen and honeydew from this plant. This tree has female and male flowers on separate trees and the female does not bear pollen so you will need a male in order to provide honey bees with pollen.
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