Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple)

Common Name: Silver Maple

The Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) is a large, fast-growing tree native to North America that is also grown in the UK for its graceful, fan-shaped crown and silver-backed leaves. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil, tolerates urban pollution, and is good for parkland or large gardens but should be avoided in exposed or coastal locations, as its thin branches can be prone to breakage.

The leaves are green on top with a distinctive, silvery-grey underside, giving the tree its name. The palmate leaves are deeply lobed. The flowers are small, inconspicuous, greenish-yellow and appear in early spring. Produces large, two-winged helicopter-like seeds called samaras in late spring.

https://www.uknature.co.uk is a website dedicated to showing the immense diversity of UK nature and wildlife. Our vast range of habitats, from lowland arable to snow covered mountains, from storm-ravaged coastlines to peaceful inland freshwater lakes and rivers, from dry, sandy heaths to deciduous and coniferous forests, all these habitats contribute to the abundance of UK nature. We have wild birds in huge numbers either residing or visiting our shores (597 recorded species as at July 2013) and we must also not forget the humble back garden with its grass lawns, flower beds filled with nectar rich flowers, shrubs and trees, all designed to attract huge numbers of insects such as bees, moths, butterflies and hoverflies; and finally the small ponds which provide safe havens for frogs, toads, newts and even slow worms and grass snakes. www.uknature.co.uk is the showcase for my personal passion, photographing uknature in all its glory. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the fruits of my labours.