The tree has a rounded crown with stocky branching. The bigleaf maple's leaves are unusually large and can measure from 12" to 24" size. Mature bigleaf maples grow to about 50 ft tall but can reach 100 ft with trunk diameters 36" to 48". The Bigleaf Maple is one of the few trees viable as a commercial hardwood species in the Pacific northwest. Unless your soil is heavy clay you should not have problems growing the Bigleaf Maple if regular deep watering is done.īuy Maple Trees Online at the Maple Tree StoreĬheck out our Maple Tree Auction page - Hundreds of Maples for sale Used as a yard or landscape tree soil is less important. Soil Requirements: The Bigleaf Maple will grow in a wide variety of soils but prefers well drained moist soils and a good subterranean water source if growing in the wild. The Bigleaf Maple can be grown in a wide variety of conditions from the cool moist climates of the Washington coast to the warm dry condition of southern California as long as it can attain a reliable water source such as bottom lands near streams or rivers. Seed size is 0.16" to 0.47" or slightly less then 1/2 inch. Bigleaf maple seeds are large with a triangular to oval shape. The flowers are yellow to light green in long clusters and appear before the tree leafs out. The wood has been used to make piano frames and the tree can be tapped for maple syrup. In addition to its huge leaves, Bigleaf Maples have the distinction of playing host to a variety of moss, lichens, and Licorice Ferns, which grow right from the tree’s nutrient-rich bark, adding to the tree’s interest and loveliness.The Bigleaf Maple is an excellent shade tree when grown in a large enough location with ample watering. Cold hardy, as well as heat tolerant, it prefers temperatures which remain above 8☏ in winter and below 100☏ in summer.Īcer macrophyllum throws down a massive root system with excellent soil fixing abilities. It is the second most abundant tree found in the Pacific Northwest, and it grows over a wide range of temperature and moisture conditions, from the cool, moist, marine climate of coastal British Columbia to the warm, dry, growing seasons of southern California. Bigleaf Maples are usually 60 – 80 feet tall with broad, rounded crowns spreading to around 50 feet across. Limited stands can also be found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and there is even a small population in Idaho. Its wood is used for furniture, piano frames, paneling and veneers, and its sap can even be made into syrup.īigleaf Maples are native to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, almost always found within 200 miles of the Pacific Ocean, from southern Alaska down to southern California. In fact, it is the only commercially valuable hardwood in its native region. By any standard, Bigleaf Maple is a very impressive citizen of the natural world with much to offer in terms of both beauty and commercial value. The “National Champion” Acer macrophyllum resides in Oregon and stands around 90 feet tall with a 100-foot crown spread and an enormous, muscular trunk, over 8 feet across. Leaves reaching an astounding two feet across have been reported. Its 1-foot across, five-lobed leaves are the largest of any maple: hence, its name and its unparalleled ability to cast shade and put on a color-show in fall. It is big, beautiful, and an amazing shade provider. Broadleaf Maple or Oregon Maple) is sometimes thought of as the “Grande Dame” of all maple trees.
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