Search Fact Sheets Virginia Tech Dendrology

boxelder Aceraceae Acer negundo L. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet play symbol: ACNE2
Leaf: Opposite, pinnately compound, 3 to 5 leaflets (sometimes 7), 2 to 4 inches long, margin coarsely serrate or somewhat lobed, shape variable but leaflets often resemble a classic maple leaf, light green above and paler below.
Flower: Species is dioecious; yellow-green, in drooping racemes; appearing in spring.
Fruit: Paired V-shaped samaras, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, in drooping clusters,light tan when ripe in fall, persist throughout winter.
Twig: Green to purplish green, moderately stout, leaf scars narrow, meeting in raised points, often covered with a glaucous bloom; buds white and hairy, lateral buds appressed.
Bark: Thin, gray to light brown, with shallow interlacing ridges; young bark is generally warty.
Form: Medium sized tree to 60 feet, typically with poor form and multiple trunks; sprouts often occur on bole.
 Looks like: poison-ivy - green ash - Rocky Mountain maple
leaf flower fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Acer negundo is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color - Landowner Factsheet
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material © 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information