May’s Tree of the Month: Big-Leaf Maple

Big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a vigorous native tree which can be easily identified by its huge leaves and mossy structure. Leaves 12 inches across are common, but the official Guinness Book of World Records lists one found in Richmond, B.C. that was just under 21 inches across! The beautiful leaves turn bright yellow in the autumn, heralding a new school year.

In the spring, the pendulous clusters of fragrant, greenish-yellow flowers burst out just before or with the new leaves.  Big-leaf maple is a fast grower, 2-3ft in height per year when young, then slowing as it becomes more mature.  It can grow to 100ft tall, 50ft in spread, and live to be 300 years old, given the right conditions, which include plenty of moisture.

Even if when the tree is felled, the stump will re-sprout within days. When you see huge, round bushes peppering a clearcut, those are usually sprouting from big-leaf maple stumps. The big-leaf maple says, “I defy you! I will live!”

Another characteristic of Acer macrophyllum is that the trunk and branches are often covered in thick moss, which makes it a very welcoming and complex environment for insects, plants and wildlife. There is a whole universe of life on and around a big-leaf maple.

The fruits grow in clusters of pairs of winged seeds (“helicopters” or “propellers”), which help the seeds propagate further as they whirl away on the wind.

A syrup can be made from the sap, similar to sugar maples in the east, however, the sugar content of the sap is lower, requiring 100 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup. This means a lot of boiling to reduce it to a syrup consistency and sweetness, so probably not really economically viable as a business.