Box Elder (MushroomExpert.Com) (original) (raw)

Box Elder (Acer negundo)

[ Trees > Hardwoods > Maples . . . ] Forest Types: Riverine

	Leaves compound, with 3-5 leaflets; leaflets broadly toothed in the upper half, often slightly cleft about halfway up; fruit a maple-like "helicopter"; growing in lowlands and moist areas.

by Michael Kuo

Habitat: In moist areas, usually in riverine ecosystems.

Stature: 40-70 feet high; to 3 feet in diameter; branches often spreading widely.

Leaves: Compound, with 3-5 leaflets; leaflets 3-4 inches long, broadly toothed in the upper half, often slightly cleft about halfway down; smooth and light green above; paler and smooth to slightly hairy below.

Bark: Gray to brown; deeply furrowed, with rounded ridges.

Fruit: A drooping, reddish brown "helicopter" 1-2 inches long.

Expanded treatment of this tree can be found at our companion site, midwestnaturalist.com, here.

(References consulted)

Frequent Mushroom Associates:

Maples are not mycorrhizal, but some saprobes are dedicated to decomposing box elder wood and debris, including: Hypsizygus tessulatus, Polyporus squamosus, and others.

© MushroomExpert.Com