Questions about Silver Maples

[archi1]

Hi,
I planted a silver maple in my front yard about a year ago. I wanted a quick growing shade tree. I live in Texas but was told that this was a good tree. Since then, I found out a lot more about the tree and I am trying to decide if I want to transplant it or cut it down. Before I do, I want to confirm a few things.
1. Is this tree dangerous to have near a house? I've heard tree branches break often especially under windy conditions which we do experience.
2. Does this tree send out shallow root systems? I have a sprinkler system and the tree is planted maybe 8 feet from sprinkler lines all around. I am concerned it's root system will eventually break my sprinkler lines.
3. Does this tree shed the seed pods for it's entire life? Last year when I bought it, it had no pods. This year there are many. I didn't realize I was buying a tree that was going to litter my yard wit these things. They are fun for kids to toss around but not too much fun for yard matenance.
Thanks
Also see my post with questions on Japanese Maples.

 

[Stumper]

You were lied to! Not really-"good" is pretty subjective. Silver maple ARE prone to breakage. They DO tend to have very shallow root systems that develop large above ground root masses. The tree will produce seeds throughou its life when circumstances do not interfere(late freezes sometimes kill the blooms). Additionally, SMs are very prone to Verticillium wilt-a disease which kills the tree very slowly. If I were you I would seriously consider replaceng the tree with something better before it gets large and you really hate starting over.

P.S. SMs are relatively poor compartmentalizers so many large one have decay in the heart or are hollow.

 

[jimmyq]

silver maples

I agree with Stumper, and most books will too, silver maple is quoted as the worst maple to plant in a yard. very prone to losing branches, invasive root system, of little or no landscape value... you would be best served finding a replacement and removing the silver before it gets too big and expensive.

 

[che]

First thing in the morning...or <b>now</b> if you have a good flashlight...go cut it down.

JMHO,
Che

 

[treesurgeon]

hello

dont worry, in about thirty years i cant wait to come and do the insurance removal on that tree and grind the stump with more surface roots than stump area. better yet, plant some in your neighbors yard. that way when i do your tree, i could do his too and give you what i call the senior discount.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

IMO it is a crock that silver maple is a bad shade tree.

I've worked in many 60-70 footers that made it through several 90 mph winds tha last few years.

In ice and snow storms I see as much damamge in oak and elm as in silver maple.

Trees that are managed properly will have some limb failure in above average storms, those that dont have included crotches taken care of as they grow will have catastrophic failure under. I don't care what species it is.

If you have a huge storm like CO had last month, NC last fall of KC last Feburary then everything will break everywhere.

My theory as to the myth of SM fialure rate is from their faster growth rate, the high population in urban environs and the past practice of topping.

Now if we were having this discussion on willow, cottonwod or boxelder, I would agree

 

[Stumper]

John, I agree that calling a Silver Maple a bad shade tree is going too far, but I don't consider them to be a great tree and usually advise against them due to the ongoing Vert. Wilt problems.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

If you take out species because of vert wil then you realy limit your selection (actualy genus), Fraxinus, Acer, Tillia, Malus, Prunus, Ulmus.....Though i will admit that Acer is on probably hardest hit.

 

[Stumper]

Right,-the others CAN get it but in my area Silver Maples and Amur maples usually do. A few Red maples and Norways have been planted in recent years-we will see how they fare. Lindens are generally doing well as are the elms, ashes, and apples-(fireblight is their biggest bugaboo).

 

[DadF]

I agree with JPS - Silver maples have gotten a bad rap and I think it is due the topping practices that the tree jerks have been selling to "reduce storm damage". I think that some of those rip-offs know that for every tree they top they have a customer forever until the tree rots all the way out. However, we have seen the worst of the vert. problems here in our Sugar maples. Have lost several because of it on our campus. There are some Silver-Red crosses that we have started using called Freemani maples, in particular "Autumn blaze" that shows the faster growing characteristics of the Silvers but has better form and much better fall color. In short, a tree for tough growing sites with interesting color which we have begun using as street planting selection.

 

[ORclimber]

I've never cared for silver maples due to their predisposition for included bark. But I see the point that other trees get broken up worse in a storm. The biggest problem I've seen with them is they get planted in the wrong spot. They grow so fast and wide that they are soon growing over the house, powerlines, or neighbors yard and the tree gets hacked back(with proper cuts of course). When I was clearing power lines it seems the outside edge of the canopy was always overhanging the lines. Not good from a climbers perspective because there usually isn't a good central tie in spot, or lowering spot higher than the work position. I did one job where a line crew(3 man) used a hot stick to pull the 7.2kv energized line away from where I was cutting(God forbid the power gets turned off). I cut the daylights out of that tree so the next trimmer wouldn't have to go through that.

So I think the best spot for silver maples is wide open spaces.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

A tree will always grow over something. I can't count the number of people I've convinced to not butch the tree from over the house.

"If your worried about soemthing falling on it, you need to take the whole thing down, let's just thin it out and keep it from rubbing the shingles".

I have even talked them inot doing reduction and partial removals of limbs so that the tree can adjust to the loss of production in that area, schedual further removal only to have them like the way I did the reduction.