Big-Tooth Maple (Acer saccharum grandidentatum)
Tree
A. grandidentatum. Nutt.
| Common Name | Latin Name | Plant Family |
|---|---|---|
|
Big-Tooth Maple |
Acer saccharum grandidentatum |
Aceraceae |
The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[18, 20].
Wood – close grained, tough, hard, heavy. Used for furniture, ship building, etc[46, 61, 82, 171]. It is a good fuel.
Cultivation & Habitat
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the following spring. A lot of the seed is non-viable, it is best to cut a few open to see if there is an embryo[113]. An average of 95% germination can be achieved from viable seed[98]. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 – 4 months at 1 – 8¡c. It can be slow to germinate, sometimes taking two years[125]. The seed can be harvested ‘green’ (when it has fully developed but before it has dried and produced any germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. It should germinate in late winter. If the seed is harvested too soon it will produce very weak plants or no plants at all[80, 113]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions.
Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus.
Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 – 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.
Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil but succeeds on most soils[11, 98]. Chlorosis can often develop as a result of iron deficiency when the plants are grown in alkaline soils. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Trees need full light and a lot of space if they are to grow well[98].
Plants are hardy to about -45¡c when fully dormant[160].
This species is not a great success in Britain[1], though it does better than once thought[11]. It grows well in Cornwall[59]. Slow growing when young[11]. Plants produce prodigious root growth but very little top growth in first year from seed[133].
A very ornamental tree[1] but a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[18, 20].
This species is commercially exploited in America for its sap[1, 11]. Along with A. saccharum and the sub-species A. s. nigrum it is the major source of maple syrup[11]. There are some named varieties[183]. The sap can be tapped within 10 – 15 years from seed but it does not flow so well in areas with mild winters[160].
Western N. America – Rocky Mountains.
Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.
*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.