I just returned from Nebraska, and brought back some "half-propellor" seed pods from the big Maples in the folks back yard. Does anyone think they'll grow in Colorado? Where should they be planted? They can go in the sun/wind, or close to the creek in the shade. Thanks.
Silver Maple at higher elevation?
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That's cool. Any area better than the other? I'd love to have them choke out some of the Aspen across the creek.
Silver Maples are known for being a fast growing tree. Don't need to do much to get them to grow and they do grow best in areas that will get wet, even flooded, for a while. Interestingly enough though, this tree can become extremly drought tolorent. Sorry to say though, they are not great tree unless you need them for a specific reson. The wood is fairly soft, requires a lot of pruning to achieve a strong tree, lots of dead branches, quite susceptible to lots of disease, and after about 30-40 years they're so big they are vulnerable to damage that can kill them. The firewood is mediacore at best. Personaly, I wont touch the stuff, but I have plenty of others to pick from. On the possitive side, this tree has been used to cultivate, taking the possitive from the Silver Maple and the best of the Red Maple and used to create one of my favorite trees, the Autumn Blaze Maple. If I were you, I'd order some of them. You can get them small at a cheap price and they grow FAST like the Silver Maple. They're one of the showest trees for autumn with a red color that will make your mouth drop and the symmetry of this tree will be like that of the Red Maple. I think that red color in Colorado would be cool.
Thanks andybaker. If I stick the seed pods across the creek, they'll get plenty of moisture. I'm curious if I would be better off planting them in pots, then transplanting them after they sprout up a bit? I have NO problems with removing some Aspen to give them more light, but initially I don't know how sturdy they are when faced with 9 months of winter conditions. If I need to, I can keep them in-doors until next spring. And I agree, the red, with the Aspen gold, and the green from the Lodgepole would be incredible.
If you leave those seeds in your pocket long enough - they will start to grow. Or if you have a nice shed....throw a couple around the shed wall. They will be 3 ft tall in about 2 weeks.
I think I am going to get some of theose Autum Blaze Maples, if they are that fast growing I might live long enough to see them get fairly tall.
I'm a native tree junkie, so I'd generally advise you to pick a species closer to home, and even then- get seeds from trees growing fairly close to home.
I bet you have rocky mountain maples where you are.
I bet you have rocky mountain maples where you are.
It would surprise me if Silver Maple grows in 8,000 + ft. in elevation. After a Google search: a few websites mention the silver maple is absent from the higher elevations of the Appalachians...
See related article on Sugar Maple: http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/pubs/trees.htm
"Elevational limits vary throughout sugar maple's extensive range. In northern New York and New England sugar maple occurs at elevations up to 2,500 feet. In the Great Lakes states, 1,600 feet is usually the upper limit. However, in the southern portions of its range, where the climate is typically warmer, sugar maple has a lower elevation limit of 3,000 feet and an upper limit of 5,500." I don't quite understand what the last part of this sentence means though.
See related article on Sugar Maple: http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/pubs/trees.htm
"Elevational limits vary throughout sugar maple's extensive range. In northern New York and New England sugar maple occurs at elevations up to 2,500 feet. In the Great Lakes states, 1,600 feet is usually the upper limit. However, in the southern portions of its range, where the climate is typically warmer, sugar maple has a lower elevation limit of 3,000 feet and an upper limit of 5,500." I don't quite understand what the last part of this sentence means though.
That data (for sugar maple, not silver) has a lower limit in the southern part of the range because it doesn't do well in warmer regions. If the climate warms, we can expect to lose sugar maple in southern regions (it's already happening, but there is some effect from invasive worms eating the leaf layer).
Hey oldspark, if you want a tree that grows fast check out Valley Forge Elm. It's a true descendant of the American Elm unlike the Prinston Elm. It grows an average of 5' per year and tops out at an expected 110'. That's like a 30' tree in 6 years and its DED resistant. Talk about a shade tree!
Hey andybaker, do you or anyone else think that would grow up here? The neighbors have some acreage that they're turning into some sort of botanical garden. They'd love a fast growing shade tree. BTW, I've got about half a dozen people lined up to take and grow seed pods. One of my co-workers has a Maple in her front yard, @ 9K. She wants more. I now have a 2-gallon baggie of Red Maple seed pods showing up in two weeks( courtesy of a big tree that fell near my great-aunts house on Monday). Looks like I'm gonna try both Silver and Red Maples.-- aside-- "Adios pantalones", I am with you on "native species" in more regards than just trees, but within the next 5 years, the Beetles will be at my doorstep, so I'm all for trying a variety at this point, to stave off the decimation. Thanks all, good stuff here. JB
I'm not really sure. Here's a link to this guys site that raises them. I ran across them years ago and thought how cool it would be if America could restore heritage of the Elm. If you remember in the old movies, I mean back when they were black and white, you'd see neighborhoods with these towering trees and the streets and houses would be all shaded, those were the Elm. They were all replaced with trees that only grow half their height, sometimes I think that's why people complain about how hot the summers get now. We don't have those huge, towering Elms shading our homes and yards like it used to be not to mention the Chestnut Blight that came thru and destroyed almost all of those. I know there are also some Chestnuts that have been bread to resist that also, now that tree is whos back America was built on right from the begining. Talk about a huge tree, wow. http://www.elmpost.org/wantelms.htm Maybe you can contact him and he can answer your question about the altitude, I wouldn't know, I just like trees and read up on them but I'm in north west Ohio and here the land is as flat as a pancake as far as the eye can see, good farm land though.
Here in western VA, the silver maples grow in the Valley - along the river banks - where the elevation is between 1,000 and 2,000 feet. Sugar maples grow from about 2,000' on up the higher elevations in the mountains ~ 4,000+
However, if you get the seeds to germinate, I'll bet those silver maple seeds will grow up where you live just fine. They like water though - so I bet that would be the most important factor - plant it somewhere that it can get plenty of water and it should do well.
However, if you get the seeds to germinate, I'll bet those silver maple seeds will grow up where you live just fine. They like water though - so I bet that would be the most important factor - plant it somewhere that it can get plenty of water and it should do well.
4,000 feet in VA is a lot different than 4000 feet in CO. CO is just plain colder at any elevation.
I checked out the zone chart, and it looks like I'm a Zone 4a/b. Most of Nebraska, central-north was the same. I've got the Silvers potted, so I should know soon if they take.
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