Box Elder
The Box Elder is a native tree that can often be found growing along streams and rivers. Some folks may know this tree as a Manitoba Maple. The tree is exceptionally drought and cold tolerant. A Box Elder can thrive in the most unforgiving location. Displaying plenty of character they often grow with gnarled and twisted branches. As the wood is weak and females will drop samaras, the Box Elder is best suited as a shade tree in a large yard or as a shelter belt tree in a rural setting.
Description
| Common Name |
Box Elder |
|---|---|
| Latin Name |
Acer Negundo |
| Form |
Round |
| Life Span |
75+ |
| Growth Rate |
Fast |
| Mature Height |
15m |
| Mature Spread |
12m |
| Flower Colour |
Insignificant |
| Fragrance |
Insignificant |
| Fall Colour |
Golden ,Yellow |
| Soil Preference |
Moist but widely adaptable |
| Exposure Preference |
Full sun ,Partial shade |
| Cold Hardiness Zone |
Zone 2a |
| Special Attributes and Considerations |
The Box Elder is the primary source of food for the pesky but harmless Box Elder bug, so we recommend planting the tree some distance away from your residence. |
| Folk Lore |
The Box Elder tree can by tapped in the spring to collect it’s sugary sap and make syrup. |
| Available Sizes |
40mm |
Related products
American Elm
American Elms are a large, long lived, stately tree. They are considered amongst the most beautiful and graceful trees that can be grown in the prairies. You will positively enjoy how their long slender branches gently sway in a breeze. Their leaves turn a golden yellow in the fall. American Elms are the trees that magnificently shade both North and South 1st Street in Medicine Hat with their cathedral-like ceiling of branches. They are exceptionally hardy and tolerant of even the most harsh planting site.
Brandon Elm
The Brandon Elm is a selection of the native American Elm that grows on the eastern prairies. It was chosen for it’s consistent upright vase form, dense ascending branch structure and being considerably more compact. The leaves are dark green with a serrated margins and turn a golden yellow in the fall. The tree can be trained to have a raised lower branches which makes it suitable for locations with visibility and clearance concerns. Brandon Elms are hardy, drought and urban tolerant. The tree is highly versatile and widely planted for good reason.
Dropmore Linden
The Dropmore Linden is hybrid between the native American Linden and the European Little Leaf Linden. This breeding resulted in a regal tree fit to grow in the most discerning grounds. The tree grows with a strong central leader and a trunk with substantial girth. Leaves are densely growing, dark green and heart shaped. In early summer the tree will burst into colour with clusters of exceptionally fragrant yellow flowers. The tree is an excellent source of nectar for honey bees. The tree has a long history of being the most prairie hardy Linden and is to be considered a low maintenance selection.
Laurel Leaf Willow
The Laurel Leaf Willow is an extremely hardy, large sized tree that is native to Northern Europe. It is noted for having a rounded form, dark green glossy leaves and twisted trunk bark. It produces catkins that are golden yellow in colour. The tree is normally allowed a low canopy and is perfectly content in wet sites. Laurel Leaf willows are very eager to leaf out in the spring and reuctant to drop their leaves in the fall.
Pembina Plum
The Pembina Plum is hybrid between a Canadian and Japanese plum that was bred over 100 years ago. The tree shows a brilliant display of precocious white flowers in the spring and in late August offers an absolutely delicious plum. The fruit displays a dark red skin and yellow flesh. The fruit is of the clingstone variety, which simply describes how the flesh does not easily pull away from the pit. The tree is very cold hardy and makes a fine year around accent tree. It is indeed a glorious moment to walk over to your Pembina Plum and indulge in a sweet and juicy plum you grew right in your own back yard.
Showy Mountain Ash
The Showy Mountain Ash features showy white spring flowers, pinnately compound leaves and striking red fall fruit. The berries often remain on the tree after the leaves fall, which provides a pleasant winter appearance. The tree is excellent at attracting birds to any yard. The leaves are dark green and transition to orange / red in the fall. Bark is typically smooth and grey, becoming scaly as the tree matures. The tree is slow growing and compact, making it a perfect addition to smaller sites. The tree can be planted as an accent or shade tree.
Thunderchild Flowering Crab Apple
Thunderchild Flowering Crabapples are an attractive, compact and upright tree that make the perfect focal point for any garden. During middle spring, the branches are draped with clusters of vibrant pink flowers. Its fruit is perfectly edible and tends to remain on the tree long into winter. The tree displays a dark purple foliage throughout the growing season. Thunderchilds are strongly resistant of fire blight. They are an absolute delight for bees, butterflies and birds alike.
True North American Linden
Bur Oaks are an exceptionally long lived tree that with time can reach truly massive proportions. They are an excellent selection for making a statement or as a shade tree with some authority. Bur Oaks are best suited for large open spaces. They are the most cold tolerant of all the oaks. When young, they are known to have a corky bark and branches. Their large acorns are prized by wildlife and are quickly carried off by birds and small mammals. When you plant a Bur Oak tree, you are really planting a tree for future generations.
