Acer saccharinum L.

Tree to 30 m, with light gray bark separating in large plates; winter-buds with 6–10 imbricate scales; lvs deeply 5-lobed, silvery-white beneath, the lobes acuminate and ± sharply toothed or with minor lobes along the sides, the terminal lobe concavely narrowed to the base; fls from clusters of lateral buds, opening in earliest spring, greenish-yellow or reddish, each cluster unisexual; pedicels short, scarcely exceeding the strongly ciliate bud-scales; cal gamosepalous, shallowly lobed; stamens long-exsert; disk vestigial or wanting; ovary densely hairy; frs falling before the lvs are fully grown, the mericarps 3.5–5+ cm, sparsely hairy; 2n=52. Moist or wet soil, especially along riverbanks; N.B. and s. Que. to Minn., and e. S.D., s. to Ga., w. Fla., La., and Okla. (Argentacer s.)

It is a temperate plant. It is native to E North America. It does best in moist well drained soils. They can tolerate some flooding. It cannot tolerate much shade. It suits hardiness zones 4-8. Arboretum Tasmania.

The sap of the tree is used as a source of sugar. The inner bark can be cooked, dried, ground into flour then used to thicken soups. The leaves of self sown seedlings can be eaten fresh. The seeds with the wings removed can be boiled and eaten.

Seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours then kept cold at 0-8°C for 2-4 months to assist them to grown. Seed can be sown fresh if green seeds are used. Layering or cuttings can be used. Stem cuttings shoot easily.