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Boxelder

Acer negundo

Boxelder is a fast, adaptable maple with compound leaves, thriving on floodplains and disturbed ground from coast to coast. Its abundant seeds feed the evening grosbeak and the boxelder bug through winter. The sap can be tapped like other maples for a refreshing drink or syrup, though with a lower sugar content.

Family

Sapindaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

30–50 ft

Spacing

30–50 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral, alkaline

Bloom

March, April

Bloom colors

yellow, green, brown

Wildlife value

songbirds, larval host, pollinators

Caterpillar hosts

~297 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, rain garden

Native states

AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY