Silver Maple

Acer saccharinum

1015 N. 8^th Street

The other names for this tree – water maple, river maple, creek maple and swamp maple – reflect its preference for wet places. The name "silver" is in recognition of the silvery-white undersides of its leaves. Because the leaves are long-stemmed, they twirl easily in a breeze and a gusty wind can suddenly turn a green crown to shimmering silver.

The short columnar trunk of the silver maple quickly separates into low, spreading branches that gracefully sweep down, then up again. It is the fastest growing of all the maples. Unfortunately, this fast growth often results in weak, brittle wood.

Silver maples are found throughout Coeur d’Alene. The tree at this location is the champion in size with a trunk circumference of 178 inches.

Nominated by: Larry Strobel