Big leaf maple firewood11/25/2023 The scientific name Acer derives from the classic Latin name for maple. Incidentally people have tried to make syrup from spring sap but the sugar concentrations are mostly too low and the day-night temperature changes too slight for a good flow. The large leaves were spread over and under food in steam pits and picking baskets. Aboriginal people also used the bark to weave ropes and baskets. Well-managed root systems and stumps yield firewood for many decades. Bigleaf maple is an excellent fuel tree today too, because it can be cut to harvest the firewood and re-sprout fresh new suckers for future wood production. Many aboriginal peoples valued the wood as a fuel, for it burns hot and clean. The wood is perhaps best known for the carving of beautiful spindle whorls and canoe paddles. From it they made dishes, spoons, rattles, bark shredders, axe handles and numerous other tools. However, native species such as salal (Gaultheria shallon), Oregon Grape (Mahonia spp.) and sword fern (Polystichum munitum) thrive beneath its umbrella.īigleaf maple wood found many uses among British Columbia’s coastal First Nations. You may have a problem growing a traditional flower garden below the thirsty tree. These seedlings transplant easily in the moist coastal winter and spring. Often, hundreds of seedlings struggle to survive under majestic parent trees. You can easily raise maple trees from seeds planted in ordinary soil. Because of its size, this maple may not suit refined urban gardens, but it cannot be beat as a huge specimen tree for a large yard, park or street planting. Once the leaves fall, weak but welcome winter sunlight can penetrate into the home. The airy canopy produces light, rather than oppressive shade. Ken Marr.Īlthough some authors consider bigleaf maple of little horticultural value, it makes an outstanding shade tree. Late summer paired maple keys, the fruit of bigleaf maple. The spiny hairs, which cover the surface of the body, will penetrate and irritate the skin. The large fruits have the typical form of maple keys consisting of a wing and body. The clusters magnetically attract pollinating flies until each tree hums softly like a giant machine. Each flower consists of petal-like sepals, and five petals surrounding either a group of long protruding spindly stamens or a two-parted ovary with two stigmas. Male and female flowers are separate, but occur in the same cluster. They burst forth in early spring revealing often 50 or more small greenish yellow fragrant blooms. The 10-15 cm (4-6″) long flower clusters rival any in the genus of maples. In fall the foliage mantles each tree in a rich yellow-orange cloak, before the leaves fall to earth to be crunched underfoot. Spring foliage emerges soft yellow green in the sun’s light and soon expands to full size, some leaves more than 30 cm (12″) across. Their form is typical for maples three to five sharply-tipped lobes with deep indentations between them. Leaves of bigleaf maple are the largest of any tree in British Columbia. Fat green buds end the branches during the winter. Young twigs are coloured an attractive medium green. Old branches are bedecked and festooned with colourful mosses, leafy and crusty lichens. However many trees have been cut, and hence grow as groups of tall greyish sapling stems. In undamaged trees, the widely spreading root system supports a short trunk 60-150 cm (2-5′) across, from which reach out great limbs. British Columbia is home to one of the noblest, but for some reason little-used shade trees, bigleaf maple.īigleaf, broadleaf, common or Oregon maple grows as a tall spreading tree to 30 m (100′) high, casting filtered shade beneath. Most shade tree species and varieties hail from distant regions and lands. We have long recognized the vital role of shade trees in creating a pleasant environment around our homes. Hanging flower clusters of bigleaf maple.
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