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True Root Nursery

Silver Maple Seedling

Silver Maple Seedling

Species: Acer saccharinum

History: Silver maples are native to southeastern Canada and the central and eastern US and is one of the most common trees in its range due to its quick growth and tolerance of a wide range of conditions. Indigenous peoples traditionally use the trees as a source of food, medicine, and wood for weaving, carving, and lumber. The tree was also commonly planted ornamentally, especially after the decline of elm trees due to Dutch Elm Disease, but fell out of favour due to their need for pruning and weak branches. However, their visual appeal means they are still cultivated and they can be found growing in a variety of climates around the world including Norway, Jerusalem, and Argentina. 

Why We Grow It: These fast growing soft maples aren't without their issues. Special care needs to be taken when planting one since they require a lot of space, can clog drain pipes with their roots, and have weak limbs which need to be pruned lest they break off and/or make the tree unsightly. They are also not nearly as useful for maple syrup as their cousin the sugar maple. However, they are an excellent wildlife tree, providing ample habitat and an early source of food. With their height, unique leaves, and general visual appeal, along with their tolerance of many conditions, it is also easy to see why they were once so popular as urban trees.

Seasonal Bonus! We have an abundance of Silver Maples this year, we are offering 40 packs of 30cm+ grade for $240 (50% off!)!

Fruit Specs

Recommended Use: Wildlife, maple syrup, ornamental

Fruit Size:

Storage: Maple syrup keeps up to two years in the fridge once opened, otherwise lasts indefinitely

Harvest: Late February to March for syrup

Growing Specs

Canadian Hardiness Zone: 3

Soil Preference: Prefers loam but adaptable to different kinds of soil

Flowering Time: Spring

Bloom Colour: Red

Pollination Requirements:

Sun/Shade Requirements:

Full sun to partial shade (approx. 6-10 hours of sun daily)

General Growth Habits:

Tree reaches 15-25m, highly vigorous, prone to developing weak branches that can break off without proper care

Shipping vs. Pick Up

CLICK HERE to see how shipping compares to pick up.

Shipping: Every year we ship thousands of trees across Canada (except BC due to CFIA regulations). We carefully bag roots in damp sawdust, then box them and send them out via courrier. CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.

Pick-up: We also have thousands of trees picked up from our nursery each year. The pick-up options is free, though you must wait until you have been emailed a confirmation that your order is ready to pick up, which will have further information such as hours, locations, etc. We really appreciate if you can make an appointment to pick up, then we can be as organized as possible during our busy season.

Size at Purchase

Our ungrafted fruit tree seedlings, nut tree seedlings, berries, and other miscellaneous plants are categorized into the following sizes excluding the roots:

  • 5-15cm
  • 15cm+
  • 30cm+
  • 60cm+
  • 90cm+

All of these heights exclude the roots since seedlings and some berries will often have a lot of root growth but relatively little vegetative growth (ex. our Shagbark Hickories seedlings are often 5-15cm above the soil but will have roots that reach 20cm+ in length).

Not all of our berries and seedlings will be available in all of these grades since growth rate can vary significantly across species and even varieties. While we remain competitive in our plant size, it's also worth noting we don't use synthetic chemicals to push vegetative growth, therefore you may find conventional nursery stock larger in some instances comparatively. 

Why plant small? It's best to transplant when a plant is young so it can establish its roots before it has a lot of vegetative growth. This is much less stressful on it and bareroot plants tend to catch up and even surpass larger potted ones planted at the same time, after a few years.

Orders that are cancelled last minute due to size (being "too small"), will still incur the applicable cancellation fees if the plants are true to our grading standards as per the agreement of sale when the order was placed.

Size
Regular price $6.00 CAD
Regular price Sale price $6.00 CAD
Sale Sold out
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