Alphabetical Plant Listing

Acer negundo (Box Elder)

Box Elder, Box Elder Maple, Ash-leaved Maple, Ashleaf Maple, Red River Maple, Fresno De Guajuco


Hardy and fast-growing, Acer negundo (Box Elder) is a suckering, vigorous, deciduous tree of upright habit with an irregular rounded canopy of widely spreading branches. The opposite, pinnately compound, light green leaves are composed of 3-7 leaflets, 6-15 in. long (15-37 cm), which turn a dull yellow in the fall. Box Elder is dioecious, with separate male and female trees. In spring, it produces pendulous pale green racemes that are followed by large dangling clusters of pale yellow samaras on female trees. They often persist on the tree well into winter. Many species of birds and squirrels feed on the seeds. The bark is light gray and smooth, but becomes furrowed into narrow ridges and darkens with age. Box Elder is often held in low regard as an ornamental tree in urban areas because of a few undesirable characteristics: brittle and weak wood, short life, susceptibility to box elder bugs, and trunk decay. The leaves fall untidily over a long period, as do the winged seeds, giving this species the reputation of being a "dirty tree". However, because of its fast growth, drought, and cold hardiness, Box Elder is popular in rural communities for street or ornamental plantings, and for shelterbelts. Box Elder's abundant sap can be made into a pleasant beverage. The Plains Indians used the sap as a source of syrup, and it is still used today, but the syrup is not as sweet as sugar maple syrup.

  • Grows up to 30-50 ft. tall and wide (9-15 m).
  • A full sun or part shade lover, this plant is easily grown in moist, well-drained soils. Box Elder is drought tolerant once established and can also withstand short periods of flooding.
  • Perfect as a specimen plant in cottage gardens, city gardens, or containers.
  • Low maintenance, this plant needs little pruning. Remove diseased, damaged, congested, or crossing shoots. Remove any shoots with green leaves.
  • May be affected by scale insects, aphids, and verticillium wilt. The wood is weak and will break up in ice and wind.
  • Propagate by seed or grafting.
  • Native to most of North America.
  • Find where Acer negundo species is invasive in the United States.

Not sure which Acer - Maples to pick?
Compare All Acer - Maples

Buy Acer negundo (Box Elder)

Requirements

Hardiness 2 – 10
Heat Zones 3 – 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A2, A3
Plant Type Trees
Plant Family Acer - Maples
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Height 30' – 50' (9m – 15m)
Spread 30' – 50' (9m – 15m)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, California, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Tolerance Clay Soil, Drought
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Patio and Containers
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow

Buy Plants

Great Plant Combination Ideas with Acer - Maples

Guides with Acer - Maples


123rf, Andrey Zharkikh, JKehoe_photos, Flickr, Kilo Lux, Robert Mutch, Maxal Tamor, Shutterstock

While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.


Requirements

Hardiness 2 – 10
Heat Zones 3 – 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, A2, A3
Plant Type Trees
Plant Family Acer - Maples
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Mid,Late)
Summer (Early,Mid,Late)
Fall
Height 30' – 50' (9m – 15m)
Spread 30' – 50' (9m – 15m)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Low
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, California, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Northeast, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Rocky Mountains, Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Southeast, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Tolerance Clay Soil, Drought
Attracts Birds
Garden Uses Patio and Containers
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow

Great Plant Combination Ideas with Acer - Maples

Guides with Acer - Maples

Plant Calculator

How many Acer negundo (Box Elder) do I need for my garden?

%
ft
ft

Your Shopping List

Plant Quantity
Acer negundo (Box Elder)

Find your Hardiness Zone

Find your Climate Zone

Find your Heat Zone

Join Gardenia.net

Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

Join now and start creating your dream garden!

Create a New Collection

Optional. For your reference.


Move Selected Plants to a Different Collection


Delete Collection

This field is required.

Rename Collection

This field is required.