Knowledgebase

Is this a maple? #880417

Asked August 06, 2024, 2:37 PM EDT

INaturalist says it’s a Genus Acer. I thought I planted acorns in that pot! Is here a more common name? Acer /ˈeɪsər/ is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple. The genus is placed in the Sapindaceae family. There are approximately 128 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America.

Montgomery County Maryland

Expert Response

This does look like a maple, in particular a native species called Boxelder (botanical name Acer negundo). Its foliage shape, unusual for a maple, is sometimes confused with poison ivy, but an easy way to tell them apart is the oppositely-arranged leaves on the maple. (Poison ivy leaves are alternate, where leaves do not connect to the stem directly opposite each other.) Boxelder is not usually grown as a home landscape tree, since it can have a more "messy" growth habit and often requires more intensive pruning (or trimming after storm damage), but like other native maples, it does have good wildlife value and is quite tolerant of poor soils.

Miri

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