Sapindaceae

Description

Large multi-trunked deciduous flowering tree which grows in moist woods and forest edges.

At a glance

• Plant Type: Tree.
• Distribution: This tree grows from Alaska to northern California (including British Columbia). This tree grows on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington.
• Height: Acer macrophyllum grows 66 to 98 feet (20 to 30 m) in height with a trunk diameter of 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1.5 m).
• Bark: The bark is initially green, later becoming grayish-brown and narrowly furrowed with age. Old bark is often covered with thick mats of mosses, lichens and ferns.
• Leaves: This species produces leaves which are palmately shaped with 5 lobes, oppositely arranged on the branch, and 4 to 12 inches (10 to 30 cm) in width. In the spring and summer, leaves are dark green above and pale green below, then turning dull yellow in autumn.
• Flowers: Ten to 50 flowers hang in loose clusters 2 inches (5 cm) in length that either appear with leaves or right before the emergence of leaves. Each flower is pale yellow in color, and diminutive (3 mm) in width.
• Fruits: two wings that spread out in a V-shape, called samaras are produced. The seeds are 1 to 2 inches (3 to 6 cm) in length and 0.4 to 0.8 inches (1 to 2 cm) in width and brown in color.
• Notable features: Sometimes the bark is not visible on the tree trunk of main branches due to being covered with mosses and other plants. The winged seeds fall similar to miniature helicopters, which assists in wide dispersal. Following cutting or fire, the stumps can sprout vigorously growing over 9 feet (3 m) in height in one year.

Restoration and Conservation

Often found growing in disturbed areas like land cleared by fire or logging, Acer macrophyllum will sprout quickly from its stump and can grow over three meters in a year. Big-leaf maples often grow with many trunks and will drop its lower branches as it matures. This creates many nooks and crannies in the tree, providing ideal housing for birds and small mammals. Fallen limbs of Acer macrophyllum are quick to rot thereby attracting numerous insects.  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. The branches on the ground provide woody debris for other plants to germinate on, and shelter for small animals like insects and salamanders. Deer, muskrats, and beaver eat the wood and twigs.  Acer macrophyllum provides plenty of tall space for epiphytes (commonly called air plants that don’t need soil) like mosses, liverworts, and ferns - especially the licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza).  

Ethnobotany

Big-leaf maples have been used by Native American tribes to make medicine for sore throats. It is called the ‘paddle tree’ in many Native American languages because the wood was often used for paddles as well as spindle whorls and other tools. The large leaves have also been used as temporary containers.  The Chehalis have used dead wood to smoke salmon. The sap is sometimes used for making maple syrup, although Acer macrophyllum produces much less sap compared to Acer saccharum the sugar maple.

References

• BRIT Ethnobotany Database: http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=acer+macrophyllum 
• FEIS/USDA: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/acemac/all.html
• Oregon State University Oregon Wood Innovation Center: http://owic.oregonstate.edu/bigleaf-maple-acer-macrophyllum
• Pojar, J and MacKinnon, A. 2004. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska. Vancouver (BC): Lone Pine Publishing.
• Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium and Landscaping Pages, 2007.
• University of Washington-Bothell, The North Creek Wetland: https://www.uwb.edu/wetlands/plants/acer-macrophyllum 
• WTU Image Herbarium

Page Editors/Authors

• Mahleah Grant
• Sarah Verlinde
• Jessica Rouske
• Mayme O'Toole
• Gerald B. Stanley

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