boxelder
Acer negundo
RHS AGM 2012
USDA zones2 to 10
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size30 to 50 feet tall30 to 50 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Greenish-yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Boxelder (Acer negundo) is a tree for shade gardens, pollinator gardens, and low maintenance landscapes. It is hardy to USDA zone 2, or down to -50°F (-46°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to wet soil of most types. It grows fast and has light green compound leaves that look unlike other maples. The wood is easily broken in storms, so plant it away from buildings. It can also spread in the East as a weed tree.
Pairs well with Eastern cottonwood, Schubert chokecherry, and Red fescue.
Native range
North America.