Culture Notes
Silver Maple will grow in areas which have standing water for several weeks at a time. It grows best on acid soil which remains moist, but adapts to very dry, alkaline soil. Leaves may scorch in areas with restricted soil space during dry spells in the summer but will tolerate drought if roots can grow unrestricted into a large soil volume. Silver Maple can be a prolific seed producer giving rise to many volunteer trees but this cultivar is fruitless. Pollen from this male selection can cause significant allergy problems for some people.
It often sends up sprouts from the trunk and branches producing an unkempt appearance. Branches often form poor attachments with trunk resulting in branch failure in old, mature specimens. Frequent pruning is required to develop a strong branch structure. Ice and snow loads can cause branch failure in young and old trees. Trees compartmentalize decay well - better than red maples. Like many other large trees, it will lift sidewalks if improperly located too close to sidewalks. There are too many other superior trees to warrant wide use of this species but it does have its place in tough sites away from buildings and people.
Maintain adequate mulch area
Clear all turf away from beneath the branches and mulch to the drip line, especially on young trees, to reduce competition with turf and weeds. This will allow roots to become well established and keep plants healthier. Prune the tree so trunks and branches will not rub each other. Remove some secondary branches on main branches with included bark. This reduces the likelihood of the main branch splitting from the tree later when it has grown to become an important part of the landscape. Locate the tree properly, taking into account the ultimate size, since the tree looks best if it is not pruned to control size. The tree can enhance any landscape with its delightful spring flush of foliage. It can be the centerpiece of your landscape if properly located.Â
Pests, Diseases and Damaging Agents
Trees are susceptible to many pest problems but none so serious to warrant control. Asian longhorn beetle, a new pest in certain sections of the US since 1996, attacks and kills maples.
This genus is sensitive to fluoride air pollution, sources of which include glass and brick manufacturing plants and other facilities that heat or treat with acid materials containing fluoride. Symptoms due to fluoride injury are more prominent on the side of the plant facing the pollution source. In deciduous plants, symptoms include leaf browning along the margins of the leaves. A dark brownish band may appear along the boundary between healthy green tissue and the affected brown tissue. Eventually, the entire leaf may turn brown. In conifers, the tips of the current year's needles turn reddish brown. Older needles are typically unaffected. If you suspect fluoride has injured this plant, look in the neighborhood for gladiolus plants. They serve as indicator plants for fluoride air pollution damage because they are very sensitive to it. Other sensitive plants include ash, maple, oak, white pine, poplar, and redbud. Plants that resist injury include birch, flowering cherry, dogwood, hawthorn, American linden, juniper, pear, spirea and sweet gum.
This plant is sensitive to damage from ozone air pollution. Damage can occur in urban or rural areas because ozone can travel long distances away from where it is formed. Typical symptoms on deciduous trees are a flecking or stippling only on the upper side of the foliage between large veins. The small spots or flecks are white, tan or orange-red. Spots or flecks from one-eighth to one-quarter inch long appear on needles of sensitive conifers. Yellow bands that girdle the needle may form, eventually causing the tips of the needles to die and/or needles to drop from the plant. If you suspect ozone is causing damage on this plant, locate White Pines (Pinus strobus) in the area to see if they are damaged. White Pines are very sensitive to ozone damage and can serve as indicators of the presence of ozone in concentrations high enough to cause plant damage.