big leaf maple
Acer macrophyllum

Family: Aceraceae.

Type: Medium to tall deciduous tree.

Branching: Opposite.

Leaves: Large and simple. Deeply palmately lobed.

Twig: Twigs are fat and smooth, greenish with a blue cast due to bloom. Bark is fissured in a grid-like pattern, and looks like frosted flakes, with small scales like white sugar, but it is typically covered with moss and lichen.

Flower & Fruit: Fruits are samaras which hang in hairy clusters.

Miscellaneous: Big leaf maple prefers wet environments, and is often found along streambanks and other wet spots in forests; it is drought-intolerant. It is shade-tolerant.