Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum
Found in bottomlands, riverbanks, and disturbed areas; also commonly planted as a street tree. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you
85
Keystone
Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- About 90 feet
- Spread
- 35–70 feet
- Light
- Full to part sun
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to average
Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count
Will it fit your yard?
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- February to April
- Fruiting season
- April to July
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Recorded in 10 Florida counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 3
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.
Streams, rivers and their banks
Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
180CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL
Genus host records with ranges including FL · Acer
- Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth
- Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Moth
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acleris chalybeanaLesser Maple Leafroller Moth
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
Show all 180
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Acronicta retardataBantam Maple Dagger, Retarded Dagger
- Actias lunaLuna Moth
- Adoxophyes negundanaShimmering Adoxophyes Moth
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
- Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Ancylis platananaSycamore Leafroller
- Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
- Antepione thisoariaVariable Antepione
- Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
- Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
- Archips negundanaLarger Boxelder Leafroller Moth
- Archips semiferanusOak Leafroller Moth
- Argyresthia subreticulataSpeckled Argyresthia Moth
- Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia quercifolianaYellow-Winged Oak Leafroller Moth, Lined Oak Leafroller
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
- Besma quercivorariaOak Besma
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
- Caloptilia bimaculatellaMaple Caloptilia
- Catocala micronymphaLittle Nymph
- Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
- Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
- Cenopis diluticostanaSpring Dead-Leaf Roller Moth, Oak Cenopis
- Cenopis niveanaAproned Cenopis Moth
- Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
- Cenopis reticulatanaReticulated Fruitworm Moth
- Chaetaglaea sericeaSilky Sallow
- Charadra deridensThe Laugher
- Choristoneura conflictanaLarge Aspen Tortrix
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
- Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
- Colocasia flavicornisYellowhorn, Saddled Yellowhorn
- Dasychira tephraTephra Tussock Moth
- Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
- Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
- Dryocampa rubicundaRosy Maple Moth, Green-Striped Mapleworm, Rosy Dryocampa
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Elaphria chalcedoniaChalcedony Midget
- Elaphria exesaExesa Midget
- Elaphria festivoidesSouthern Festive Midget
- Elaphria versicolorVariegated Midget
- Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
- Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
- Episimus tyriusMaple Tip Borer
- Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
- Eubaphe mendicaThe Beggar
- Euchlaena amoenariaDeep Yellow Euchlaena
- Euchlaena serrataThe Saw-Wing
- Eucirroedia pampinaScalloped Sallow
- Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
- Euxoa auxiliarisArmy Cut-Worm, Army Cutworm
- Gesta juvenalisJuvenal's Duskywing
- Glena cognatariaBlueberry Gray
- Glena cribratariaDotted Gray
- Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
- Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
- Heterocampa pulvereaWhite-Blotched Heterocampa
- Heterophleps triguttariaThree-Spotted Fillip
- Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
- Hypena baltimoralisBaltimore Bomolocha, Baltimore Snout
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
- Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
- Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
- Isa textulaCrowned Slug
- Kocakina fidelisIntractable Quaker, Green Fruitworm, Fourlined Green Fruitworm
- Laetilia coccidivoraScale-Feeding Snout
- Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
- Lambdina pellucidariaYellow-Headed Looper, Eastern Pine Looper
- Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
- Lithophane patefactaDiomorphic Pinion, Branded Pinion
- Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
- Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
- Lytrosis sinuosaSinuous Lytrosis
- Lytrosis unitariaCommon Lytrosis
- Macaria aemulatariaCommon Angle
- Macaria pustulariaLesser Maple Spanworm Moth
- Macrurocampa marthesiaMottled Prominent
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Megalopyge crispataBlack-Waved Flannel Moth, Crinkled Flannel Moth
- Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Melanolophia signatariaSignate Melanolphia
- Metaxaglaea viaticaRoadside Sallow
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
- Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nemoria lixariaRed-Bordered Emerald
- Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
- Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
- Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
- Oedemasia semirufescensRed-Washed Prominent
- Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
- Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia alurinaGray Quaker
- Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
- Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
- Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
- Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Parallelia bistriarisMaple Looper Moth
- Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
- Peridea basitriensOval-Based Prominent
- Pero ancetariaHubner's Pero
- Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
- Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
- Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
- Phlogophora periculosaBrown Angle Shades
- Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
- Phyllodesma americanaLappet Moth, American Lappet Moth, Southern Lappet Moth
- Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
- Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
- Prionoxystus macmurtreiLittle Carpenterworm, Lesser Oak Carpenter Worm
- Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
- Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
- Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
- Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
- Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
- Proteoteras aesculanaMaple Seed Caterpillar, Maple Twig Borer
- Protoboarmia porcelariaPorcelain Gray, Dashedlined Looper
- Psaphida resumensFigure-Eight Sallow
- Psaphida styracisFawn Sallow
- Pseudexentera spolianaBare-Patched Leafroller
- Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
- Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Rifargia subrotataSmall Heterocampa
- Satyrium calanusBanded Hairstreak, Falacer Hairstreak
- Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
- Sonia canadanaCanadian Sonia Moth
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Strepsicrates smithianaBayberry Leaftier
- Sunira bicoloragoBicolored Sallow
- Synanthedon acerniMaple Callus Borer Moth
- Synanthedon acerrubriRed Maple Borer, Maple Clearwing
- Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
- Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
- Tortricidia pallidaRed-Cross Button Slug
- Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
- Xanthotype urticariaFalse Crocus Geometer
- Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
- Zale galbanataMaple Zale, Boxelder Zale
- Zale lunataLunate Zale
- Zale minereaColorful Zale
- Zanclognatha cruralisEarly Zanclognatha, Early Fan-Foot
- Zeiraphera claypoleanaBuckeye Petiole Borer
- Carmenta corni
- Holcocera crassicornella
- Trypanisma prudens
15BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Acer
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
7BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Acer
- Aix sponsaWood Duck
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
- Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
- Ectopistes migratoriusPassenger Pigeon
- Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak
- Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3–9
- Flower color
- Yellow
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Growth habit
- Single stem
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- April
- Fruit ends
- July
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “February to April” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Yellow” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “April” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Fruit ends · “July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3–9” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- Height · “About 90 feet” · USDA PLANTS (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Light · “Full to part sun” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- Soil · “medium to moderately dry” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
- Spread · “35–70 feet” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Also known as
Water Maple
Conservation status
| Florida rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| FL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Sources
- Atlas of Florida Plants
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications