Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

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Acer macrophyllum

Big-leaf Maple

At a Glance: A tree with a large, often multi-stemmed trunk and a loose, broad crown of large leaves.

Height: 65-100 feet (20-30 meters) tall with trunk 3-5 feet (1-1.5 meters)diameter.
Growth Form: Tree.
Stems: Bark is initially green, later becoming grey-brown and narrowly furrowed with age. Old bark is often covered with thick mats of mosses, lichens and ferns.
Leaves: Leaves are palmate shaped with five lobes, 10-30 cm (4-12 in) across, oppositely arranged on the branch. In the spring and summer leaves are dark green above and pale green below, then turning dull yellow in autumn.
Flowers: Ten to fifty flowers hang in loose clusters 5 cm (2 in) long that either appear with leaves or right before the emergence of leaves. Each flower is pale yellow, about 3 mm across.
Flowering Period: April.
Fruits: Typical maple-keys with two wings that spread out in a V- shape, called a samara. Size: 3-6 cm (1-2 in) long, 1-2 cm (.4-.8 in) across. Color: brown.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
(data not available)	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (facultative upland)	Found mostly west of the Cascades below 300 meters (Kruckeberg). low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value

Berries

Seeds

Nectar for hummingbirds

Nectar for butterflies

Host for insect larvae

Thickets and shelter

Thorny or protective cover

Birds: The rotting limbs provide a food source for insect-eating birds such as grouse, grosbeaks, kinglets, siskins, vireos, warblers, sapsuckers, woodpeckers, nuthatches, song sparrows, finches, and quail. Fallen limbs of Acer macrophyllum provide habitat for cavity-nesting birds.
Insects: Acer macrophyllum is a good nectar source for swallowtail butterfly larvae and bees. Fallen limbs of Acer Macrophyllum are quick to rot thereby attracting numerous insects.
Mammals: Deer, muskrats, and beaver eat the wood and twigs.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

(data not available)

Suggested References

Brockman, F.C. 1968. A Guide to Field Identification: Trees of North America. Western Publishing Company. Page .
Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 1.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 88.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 245.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 93.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 45.
Turner, N.AJ. 1975. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians: part 1, Coastal Peoples. British Columbia Provincial Museum. Page 130.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.