FNPS Plant Database

Acer negundo

box-elder, ash-leaf maple
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

box-elder, ash-leaf maple

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Acer negundo

Family:

Sapindaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

30-70 ft tall by 20-40 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

Pinkish, not showy

Fruit Color:

green,brown

Phenology:

deciduous. Flowers in late winter. Fruits ripen in spring.

Noted For:

Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Its twisting shape makes it an interesting specimen tree.

Considerations:

Fast growing, fairly weak hence somewhat prone to breaking.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Friends

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

6.0 - 7.0

Suitable to Grow In:

8A, 8B, 9A

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Mammals

Attracts pollinators, particularly native bees.   Larval host for Cecropia silkmoth ( Hyalophora cecropia ).

Squirrels and other rodents eat the seeds. 

Native Habitats:

Found naturally in floodplains. Has become widely established in ruderal settings.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

  • Burns, Russell M., and Barbara H. Honkala [Technical coordinators]. (1990). Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654. ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Accessed 2026.

  • Gann, G.D., C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). Mauve Mallow. Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Abuthuls ). Accessed 2025. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, Florida.

  • Huegel, Craig N. (2010). Native Plant Landscaping for Florida Wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

  • University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.

  • Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.
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