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Acer negundo Observations
(box elder or Manitoba maple)
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Introduction to the NPN Native Species Observation Program
Boxelder is a small to medium-size tree that is one of the most widespread and best know of the maples. Its other common names include ashleaf maple, boxelder maple, Manitoba maple, California boxelder, and western boxelder. Flowers appear with or before the leaves, depending on geographic location. Only female trees produce fruit.
Source: Silvics of North America, Volume 2: Hardwoods.
You should record when five well-defined phenological events occur for box elder:
- Beginning of flowering, first flowers open (BF) is the date when in at least three places on the plant the first flowers have opened completely.
- Sprouting of leaves (SL) is the date when the buds begin to burst open in at least three places on the plant under observation. The first green is visible on the young spring shoots and the first scales may fall off the buds.
- Beginning of the unfolding of leaves, first leaf surfaces visible (UL) is the date when in at least three places on the plant under observation first leaves have pushed themselves completely out of the bud or leaf sheath. The leaves have unfolded completely, so that the leaf stalk or leaf base is visible (sometimes only recognizable by bending back the young leaf). At this point, the individual leaf has taken its ultimate form, but has not yet reached its final size.
- Fruit ripe (FR) is the date when in at least three places on the plant under observation, the fruit shows the coloring characteristics of the plant variety (i.e., is ripe), and can be easily removed (i.e., is ready to fall from the plant).
- Coloring of leaves (CL) is the date when approximately 50% of the leaves (including those that have fallen to the ground) have taken on the colors of autumn.
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Please record average dates for each event among multiple plants of the same species. Report by email if any plant appears in poor health or event dates for same-species plants vary by more than a few days.
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