Scientific Name, Family: Acer negundo
Common Names: Manitoba maple, ash-leaved maple
Native or invasive: Native
Deciduous or Evergreen: Deciduous
Image of the tree you are viewing, GPS Coordinates 45.00288N, 92.90339W
Condition and age guess of the tree you are viewing: Healthy, xxxx years
Branch Structure:
Typical height and width at maturity: 25-100 ft tall by 35-60 ft wide
Typical longevity: 85-110 years
Soil, water, sunlight preferences: Able to tolerate a wide variety of soils but shows a strong preference for rich moist well-drained soils. Although boxelder will grow on soils from gravel to clay, it grows best on deep, sandy loam, loam, or clay loam soils. Moisture: prefers moist soils such as low lying flood plains, creeks, rivers, lakes. Sun: likes full sun but can tolerate some shade
Growth habit of roots: A drought-tolerant tree once established, boxelder’s roots are shallow and spreading, except on deep soils
Images of trunk bark at early stage and mature stage: The bark is light grey and smooth on immature trees, but becomes furrowed into narrow, firm ridges and darkens with age.
Images of mature tree: winter and summer
Image of leaf or leaves on a 12 x 12 inch grid: The leaves of Boxelder are odd-pinnate with three to five leaflets. The leaves are up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long. The leaf color is green to whitish green. The leaf margin is serrated. Fall color yellow.
Image of leaf or leaves in fall colors: yellow
Flower Details: Boxelder is dioecious with “imperfect” flowers (have only female or only male parts)- there are separate female and male trees
Typical Pollination Mechanism: Wind
Images of flowers Female (l) and Male (r). The flower appears in March – April before leaf budding and is yellowish.
Images of fruit: Early season (l) and later (r)
Value for wildlife: Many different types of wildlife, especially birds and squirrels, rely on those fruits and leaves that persist on the tree, especially late in the season when food supplies become scarce. Boxelder communities provide important habitat for many wildlife species.
Utility for Humans: The wood is of the hardwood class, used for lathe-turned objects, small ornamental objects, wood pulp, charcoal, boxes, and crates. For farmers, box elder protect livestock from temperature extremes in summer and winter.
Traditional uses in Native American Tree Medicine (historical) Information provided by Paul Red Elk, Lakota Medicine Man: The Anishinaabe and Dakota were known to use the inner bark from young saplings for respiratory conditions, kidney infections, temporary paralysis, swellings, and other body ailments. It was also used to wash wounds.
Links to related interesting information: audio file link
Homeowner’s Corner
In our area, box elder trees are host to box elder bugs which lay their eggs in the female box elders (as well as in related species). These may be annoying to homeowners who have to clean them up. The female trees produce many seeds that sprout easily, making this a fast-spreading species.