Skip to main content
Close

Big Leaf Maple Leaves

Acer macrophyllum

Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

47.6627, -122.682

Field Notes

Description:

It can grow to be up to 35 m tall, but more commonly grows 15 m to 20 m tall. It is native to western North America, mostly near the Pacific coast, from southernmost Alaska to southern California. Some stands are also found inland in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains of central California, and a tiny population occurs in central Idaho.

Habitat:

Bigleaf maple can form pure stands on moist soils in proximity to streams, but are generally found within riparian hardwood forests or dispersed, (under or within), relatively open canopies of conifers, mixed evergreens, or oaks (Quercus spp.).[4] In cool and moist temperate mixed woods they are one of the dominant species.

Notes:

Maple syrup has been made from the sap of Bigleaf Maple trees.[8] While the sugar concentration is about the same as in Acer saccharum (sugar maple), the flavor is somewhat different. Interest in commercially producing syrup from Bigleaf Maple sap has been limited.[9] Although not traditionally used for syrup production, it takes about 132 L (35 gal.) of sap to produce 3.8 L (1 gal.) of maple syrup.

Bigleaf is used as browse by black-tailed deer, mule deer, and horses during the sapling stage.[10] A western Oregon study found that 60 percent of bigleaf maple seedlings over 10 inches (25 cm) tall had been browsed by deer, most several times.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment

Sign in to comment
Photographed
PublishedNovember 15, 2011

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Image
Butterflies icon

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon