Silviculture

Silver maple has shown promising growth in several plots in southern Britain, but our knowledge of appropriate silviculture is limited and is based upon experience in its natural range. There it generally grows in mixture with other broadleaved species along river valleys (aka ‘bottomland hardwoods’). It is an early successional species with rapid early height growth and has greater tolerance of waterlogging than other maple species. It is moderately shade-tolerant, but this is influenced by site quality being higher on better sites.

Good control of competing vegetation is necessary for satisfactory establishment, and it can respond well to site cultivation. Once established it will make rapid height growth, but this can slow down after canopy closure unless heavy thinning is used to reduce competition from neighbouring trees. On the best sites productivity is likely to be similar to that of Norway maple: the tallest tree in Britain is around 30 m. The wood is quite brittle so that trees of this species can be severely damaged by strong winds. A species that coppices readily and grows rapidly after cutting.

Seed production can start when trees are still young, but the development of viable seed has been rare in Britain and there are few reports of natural regeneration. In its native range it is considered shade-tolerant on good sites and intolerant on poor sites. The species would appear best suited to being grown in mixed woodland on moist soils in lowland Britain.