Silver Maples in Bloom

There have been brief tastes of spring warmth this season, but for the most part, cooler temperatures have prevailed. However, hidden within all of the cold and wind is a sure sign that milder days are ahead. Over the weekend, the silver maples (Acer saccharinum) in our area began to flower. There is a typical progression in the bloom of Maine's forest trees throughout the year. Silver maples are one of the first whose buds pop open to expose their reproductive structures. Some trees have only male or female flowers (dioecious) while others have both on the same tree (monoecious). The blossoms shown below are female, or pistillate, flowers from our lone silver maple on campus.

 Female flowers from our campus silver maple just beginning to show.

Our single silver maple is located along the sidewalk in front of the latin building and provides a perfect specimen to share with students during our walks focused on tree identification. Structurally, silver maples are known for their light gray, loosely plated bark, and long pendulous branches. 

Our campus silver maple in bloom on a snowy April morning. 

One of the coolest parts of sharing tree identification with students is providing them with an additional layer of wonder in the outdoors. I try to help them associate each species with the types of habitats they will most likely be encountered in. If they can connect a given species with a memory from their experiences in the Maine woods, future identification becomes much easier. Personally, I can't think of silver maple without memories of hard fighting smallmouth bass on evening drifts down the Saco River. Silver maple grows best on sandy soils along the banks of streams and the Saco River is lined with this species in many areas. Its long branches hang out over the water in their pursuit of sunlight. This provides a shady hiding spot for bass to ambush baitfish and await the drop of insects from the branches above. As a youngster, my father would paddle me along down the river as I casted to hungry "smallies" hiding under the limbs of those silver maples. As a kid, I had no idea what tree species those bass were coming out from under. My only concern was that they were there and willing to play along. My Anglers' Society kids tend to think in the same fashion. The hope is that through their experiences on the water and in the classroom, they too will begin to assign value to each species in their own way. That value provides motivation to conserve Maine's natural beauty for the next generation. 

Julien shows off a fine smallmouth from the Saco River. Off in the background, silver maples glow in their classic yellow autumn colors.