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Box Elder
Acer negundo |
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Box elder is a fast-growing native maple which has been historically
planted in Salida because it adapts very well to dry and cold environments.
At maturity, it grows a fat trunk and a widely-spreading crown,
but sheds limbs readily in wind and snowstorms and provides habitat
for box elder bugs, which are harmless but considered a nuisance.
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Height: 45’
Crown Spread: 30’
Growth Rate: fast
Flowers: small, green
Foliage: light green leaves turn
yellow in fall
Fruit: samaras (winged seeds in
a pair)
Soil: tolerant of most conditions
Water: medium
Sun: shade-tolerant
Problems: box elder bugs,
especially near street lights; limb breakage due to weak brittle wood;
drips sap; very sensitive to 2, 4-D herbicide
Comments: Crown is sometimes ragged due to limb drop,
but the tree adapts to difficult growing conditions. “Sensation,”
an improved variety, offers promise for parks and yards.
Street Tree: not permitted |
