Silver Maple Samaras?

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neefman East Bridgewater, MA May 17, 2015

I've never looked for Silver maples in the Spring. Do they have reddish tinged Samaras like I have in these photos? This was right by a small stream - a perfect environment for them.

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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) May 17, 2015

Not Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) - on many counts.

The samaras (seeds) shown are small, while Silver Maple has very large samaras for a maple.

Silver Maple samaras are not ornamentally significant. These seeds are an attractive reddish hue.

Samaras of the various species of maples hang in pairs, with a typical angle between the two. Silver Maple samaras spread their wings at 80 to 90º angle. These shown definitely don't have that angle between the wings.

The seeds/samaras are attached to the branch by the pedicels, which on Red Maple (Acer rubrum) are two to three inches long - like in these pictures.

Those look very much like Red Maple leaves, a Red Maple trunk, and the crown/form of Red Maple trees.

I'm firmly in the Red Maple camp.

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) May 18, 2015

While maples like moisture, and Silver are widely planted around here, I've never noticed a silver maple like leaf along the rivers we visit or anywhere in the wild.

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Resin Northumberland, United Kingdom(Zone 9a) May 18, 2015

Ditto to Red Maple

Resin

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neefman East Bridgewater, MA May 18, 2015

Thanks for the help guys.

Along the Mississippi River I saw lots of Silver Maples. Aren't they supposed to be common on rivers?

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) May 18, 2015

Sorry I am only speaking for a part of central MD. Lots of other invasives lots of boxelder and sycamore.

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ViburnumValley Scott County, KY(Zone 5b) May 18, 2015

Eastern Cottonwood, Silver Maple, and a variety of Willow species are the base tree species along the dynamic banks of the Ohio River. Other species grade in as you move into more stable territory further from actions of current and river elevation fluctuation.

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Sequoiadendron4 Lititz, PA(Zone 6b) May 19, 2015

There are several Silver Maple trees about 5-7 years old on a small stream near work.

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