Boxelder is a deciduous tree with a rounded form and a broad, irregular crown that grows to be medium-sized. Bright green lance-shaped ovate leaves with serrated margins, winged seeds known as samaras, and dark brown ridged bark are some of its identifying characteristics. Boxelder leaves are pinnately complex and have three to seven leaflets on a petiole, as opposed to other trees in the genus Acer.
Boxelder trees’ brittle wood, untidiness, susceptibility to boxelder bugs, and rapid production of suckers have earned them a poor reputation. Boxelder trees, on the other hand, are fast-growing, have a wide crown, and thrive on wet, poor soils. They are therefore very valuable to a landscape.
The characteristics of numerous boxelder tree species are described in this article. Recognize this native tree in parks, woodlands, and other places by looking at boxelder leaves, seeds, bark, and development descriptions and images.
About Boxelder Tree (Acer negundo)
The boxelder (also spelled box elder) is a cold-hardy, multi-trunked tree native to North America that tolerates poor wet soil. The genus Acer and the soapberry family Sapindaceae are both represented by this kind of maple tree. Boxelders are sometimes considered invasive or weedy because of their rapid growth and suckering habit.
Boxelder trees range in height from 35 to 80 feet (10 to 25 meters). Boxelder trees have a lot of trunks, which may grow into impenetrable thickets like shrubs. Regular pruning is required to eliminate suckers as a result of this. The diameter of the trunks is generally 1 to 1.6 (0.3 to 0.5 m). They can grow to be over 3 feet (1 meter) tall.
Boxelders are extremely hardy and thrive in USDA zones 2 to 10. They are, however, drought resistant and can thrive in the heat. The medium-sized boxelder thrives on most soils and flourishes in full sun or partial shade. The hardy tree can tolerate some flooding, despite its drought-tolerant nature. Dioecious trees, which means each tree may be male or female, are Boxelder trees. Since they don’t produce fruit (seeds) and are less messy, male boxelder trees have more ornamental value.
Ash-leaf maple, box elder maple, and Manitoba Maple Tree are all other names for boxelder trees. Boxelder trees also create a delicious, gluey sap that may be transformed into mountain molasses because they belong to the maple family. The tree, on the other hand, is typically commercially grown for pulp because of its brittle and weak nature.
Boxelder Tree Leaves
The serrated edges of the boxelder tree’s pinnately compound leaves differentiate them from other maples. The lobed, serrated borders of the bright green ovate leaves range from 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) long. A petiole usually has three to seven leaves.
Deciduous, light to bright green leaves cover the boxelder tree. They produce a thick canopy that blooms from mid-April to late May. The tree’s leaves turn a drab yellow in the autumn. As a result, the tree’s autumn colors are less striking and have limited decorative worth.
Boxelder Tree Flowers
Greenish-white or yellowish boxelder tree blooms bloom in early spring, just before the leaves. Male (left) and female (right) blooms Corymbs are little, insignificant blooms that produce in tiny, drooping clusters. Male boxelder flowers have a yellow-green color and pollen-producing stamens that are borne by the female boxelder tree.
Male and female flowers don’t appear on the same tree, so boxelder’s are dioecious trees. As typical maple trees are monoecious, this is another distinctive characteristic of these maples. Racemes or corymbs that hang down 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) long are called drooping racemes or corymbs.
Boxelder Tree Seeds
After blooming and ripening in August and September, boxelder seeds are known as samaras. The samaras, which are tiny winged nutlets that grow in clusters, are the boxelder seeds. When the dangling clusters become reddish-brown in color during the winter, they often persist on the tree.
The average length of a single samara is 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). The papery casings that surround the boxelder seeds are V-shaped pairings. Boxelder seeds may be difficult to remove since they fall from the trees. Moreover, in the spring, several boxelder seedlings emerge, necessitating more effort to remove the fast-growing trees. Helicopters or whirligigs are two terms for the maple seed pods.
Because of the gentle descent of the “helicopter seeds,” this name is derived from their spinning behavior. Box elders and other maple trees in the genus Acer have helicopter-like seeds, which are distinctive.
Boxelder Tree Fruit
Boxelder seeds, sometimes known as fruit, are papery-shelled nuts. The seed’s outer coating must be removed to reveal the boxelder fruit. Maple tree fruit or nuts are said to be the most delicious when they’re young and green, before they ripen and turn brown.
Boxelder Tree Bark
As the tree grows older, its bark becomes ridged and scaly. The bark becomes rough and scaly, with deep clefts and interlocking ridges, as the tree matures. It also becomes darker in color. Green new shoot emerge on boxelder trees, with a waxy violet or pink coating. Green stems with no bark are more common. Since the boxelder tree grows quickly, its branches are brittle and fracture readily under snow or strong winds.
Boxelder Tree Wood
Boxelder wood is weak and brittle, and it doesn’t have a long lifespan. Moreover, owing to its quick development, the boxelder tree can’t provide robust timber. As a result, boxelder wood has little commercial value and is mostly utilized as pulp in the paper industry.
Boxelder Tree Identification
The thick, multi-stemmed growth, irregular canopy, and dense foliage are all identifying features of a boxelder tree. This medium-sized tree is also distinguished by its papery winged samaras, which flutter from the tree like helicopters, and small yellow-green flowers that bloom in the spring.
The Drawbacks of Boxelder Trees
Brittle, weak wood makes boxelder trees vulnerable to severe winds and heavy snow. Moreover, due to the tree’s leaves and seeds falling over a long period, there is a continuous clean-up in the autumn. Boxelder saplings springing up near the tree are another problem because of their vigorous growth.
Boxelder trees, like other boxelder trees, are vulnerable to pests, particularly the boxelder bug. The tree’s bark contains holes where the black and red destructive pests lay their eggs. Large numbers of these pests can get into homes and become a problem, despite the fact that they do not cause too much tree damage.
The Benefits of Planting Boxelder Trees
Boxelder trees have a number of attractive qualities despite their flaws. The tree, for example, has rapid development and is adaptable to poor soil conditions. Moreover, boxelder beetles, pollinators, and moths are attracted to the tree, which has an important usage for wildlife. The boxelder tree is particularly suited for riverbank erosion management due to its strong root system and tolerance of moist, soggy soil.
Types of Boxelder Trees (With Pictures) – Identification Guide
Native to North America, boxelder trees may be found across the country. Boxelder trees come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with distinguishing characteristics and properties. For more information on identifying a boxelder tree in the environment, please read further.
‘Auratum’ Boxelder Tree (Acer negundo ‘Auratum’)
‘The boxelder maple tree (Auratum) is a tiny multi-stemmed shrub-like tree with smooth undersides and yellowish-green leaves. In the summer, the bright golden yellow leaves on reddish stalks provide a nice aesthetic. This boxelder species is an excellent landscape tree in parklands because of its attractive spreading crown and deep rooting system.
The growth rate of Acer negundo ‘Auratum’ boxelder is 16 to 22 feet (5 – 7 meters) high, and the flowers bloom at 16 to 22 feet (5 – 7 meters) high. The yellowish Lanceolate leaves with tiny lobes at the leaf’s apex end, drooping scarlet flowers, crimson stems, and an open, egg-shaped head are its distinguishing features.
The shrub-like tree produces multiple trunks and is also known as the ‘Auratum’ ash-leaved maple. In April, its pendulous blossom clusters are barely visible. The winged seeds of the boxelder tree ‘Auratum’ are produced in abundance after it blooms.
‘Aureomarginatum’ Boxelder Tree (Acer negundo ‘Aureomarginatum’)
The green leaves with yellowish borders of the Aureovariegatum boxelder tree identify it as a variegated maple species. Because of its yellow and green leaves, the fast-growing deciduous boxelder cultivar is one-of-a-kind among the species. As a consequence, only small patches of green appear on the tree’s leaves from time to time.
A small multi-trunked tree with variegated leaves, the variegated ‘Aureomarginatum’ boxelder is a good fit for residential gardens. The rounded crown of the maple tree provides shade and grows to be 20 to 32 feet (6 – 10 meters) tall. You may train the shrub-like tree to develop as an attractive single-stem landscape tree by pruning it when it is young.
The leaf color of the cultivar ‘Aureomarginatum’ is characteristic of all boxelder trees. When planted near dark-leaved trees, the green leaves with their creamy-yellow borders offer aesthetic appeal. It can be a excellent specimen, accent, or shade tree because of the boxelder ‘Aureomarginatum,’ attractive foliage, relatively short height, and oval shape.
‘Flamingo’ Boxelder Tree (Acer negundo ‘Flamingo’)
Due to its eye-catching variegated cream and green leaves with hints of pink blushing, the boxelder tree cultivar “Flamingo” is a spectacular landscaping maple tree. Before turning yellow in the autumn, the beautifully hued boxelder leaves emerge pink and develop to green and white.
New stems are reddish before turning green, as are many boxelder varieties. The compound pink and green leaves grow in clusters of three to seven. In addition, before the female tree develops helicopter-like winged samaras, yellowish-green inconspicuous flower clusters appear in the spring.
This small to medium-sized maple species is perfect for a garden landscape thanks to its colorful leaves and low maintenance. In the spring and summer, the bright pink and cream leaves change color to pink and green, adding visual appeal. In the autumn, the tree’s canopy is then decorated with golden yellow hues.
‘Variegatum’ Boxelder Tree (Acer negundo ‘Variegatum’)
The Variegatum cultivar is a big multi-stemmed deciduous tree with beautiful green and creamy-white variegated leaves. The leaves have a brilliant overall appearance because of their three to seven-variegated leaflets. In late summer and fall, dangling clusters of V-shaped samaras cover the tree. Boxelder trees of the variegated variety reach 40 to 50 feet (12 to 15 meters) in height and width.
This boxelder adds ornamental value to a landscape because of its attractive foliage and open, spreading, rounded canopy. Because of its minimal maintenance and pruning requirements, the Variegatum boxelder is an excellent landscaping choice.
The cultivar ‘Variegatum’ shares several negative characteristics with other boxelder cultivars. The tree’s branches are thin and breakable at first, and it has a short lifespan. Moreover, boxelder bugs may come into your garden in the autumn, causing pest problems.
‘Aureovariegatum’ Boxelder Tree (Acer negundo ‘Aureovariegatum’)
The boxelder cultivar ‘Aureovariegatum’ has greenish-red flowers and variegated green and creamy pale yellowish leaves. The lanceolate leaves with shallow lobes of the boxelder species, like all boxelder species, are lanceolate. Green and creamy yellow leaves with reddish stems grow in clusters of five or seven leaves.
Boxelder trees with an irregular oval crown of light green foliage grow 32 to 82 feet (10 to 25 meters) high. While the fast-growing shade tree has a few downsides, it thrives practically everywhere and is extremely versatile. When established, it is drought tolerant as well.
The light green lance-shaped leaves with golden yellow patches of the ornamental value of boxelder ‘Aureovariegatum’ are a landscape feature. USDA zones 5 through 9 are ideal for growing the medium-sized tree. Urban settings, pollution, and drought are also tolerant of it.
‘Winter Lightning’ Boxelder Tree (Acer negundo ‘Winter Lightning’)
The yellow-twigged boxelder cultivar is a huge shrub-like tree with dark green lobed leaves, cream-yellow or light green blooms, and a spreading canopy during the winter and fall. The boxelder’s bright yellow twigs, which emerge in the fall and winter, are its most distinguishing feature.
Boxelder ‘Winter Lightning,’ which grows to be 20 to 30 feet (6 to 12 meters) tall and broad, From spring till late summer, when the leaves turn dull yellow in the fall, the tree’s foliage is green. The decorative stems of the boxelder ‘Winter Landscape’ provide a lot of color to a bleak environment. The ‘Winter Lightning’ cultivar has three to nine leaflets on yellow petioles, as do all boxelder tree species.
How to Prune Boxelder Trees
To prevent the Boxelder tree from becoming a dense thicket, it must be regularly pruned. As the tree grows, the weak branches sag. To maintain space beneath the tree’s canopy, therefore, you’ll need to prune drooping branches. Also, after strong winds, ice storms, or significant snowfall, the branches are more likely to be damaged.
It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on boxelder seedlings. Late winter and spring, when the maple seeds fall in large numbers, they quickly germinate and sprout. As a result, many seedlings may develop around boxelder maple trees because they are common. As a result, to avoid a little forest from developing in your backyard, you should remove them.