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Boxelder

Acer negundo

Boxelder is a fast, adaptable maple with compound leaves, thriving on floodplains and disturbed ground from coast to coast. Its abundant seeds feed the evening grosbeak and the boxelder bug through winter.

Family
Sapindaceae
Type
tree
Lifespan
perennial
Height
30–60 ft
Spacing
30–50 ft apart
Light
sun
Soil moisture
moist, wet, dry
Soil pH
neutral, alkaline, acidic
Bloom
March, April
Bloom colors
yellow, green
Wildlife value
songbirds, larval host, pollinators
Caterpillar hosts
~297 butterfly & moth species
Landscape uses
specimen, rain garden
Native states
AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY