FNPS Plant Database

Acer negundo

box-elder, ash-leaf maple

  • ©Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter

  • ©Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter

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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:

Friends, Native Plant Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

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

--- -- <-------------------->

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

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray.

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil pH:

6 - 7

Suitable to Grow In:

8A, 8B, 9A

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



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Mammals
Squirrels and other rodents eat the seeds.
Bees, Caterpillars, Pollinators, Moths

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

Native Habitats:

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

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

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 2025. 


Huegel, Craig N. 2010. Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses).


Gann GD, Abbott CJ, Stocking CG, Hines KN, and Collaborators. Natives for Your Neighborhood. https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Acernegu , accessed 2025. (salt tolerance) Institute for Regional Conservation, Delray Beach, FL.


Patton, Sean & Southworth, Kendall. 2025. Florida's Aquatic Butterfly Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful Backyard Habitat for Attracting 70+ Species with 100+ Native Plants. Pineapple Press, Palm Beach.


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. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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