# Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)

> The largest maple in North America, with the biggest leaves of any maple (up to a foot across) that emerge burgundy, mature glossy green and turn yellow-orange in fall. Hanging chains of yellow-green flowers in spring become winged seeds. In wet coastal forests its limbs are draped in moss and licorice fern. It is a grand shade tree for large lots and parks but its shallow roots crack sidewalks and its leaf fall is heavy.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/acer-macrophyllum · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Oregon maple
- Family: Sapindaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 20 m; spread 15 m
- Growth: Fast growing; lives about 175 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 6 to 7
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soil; tolerates moist to somewhat dry conditions
- Native range: Pacific coast of North America from southernmost Alaska through British Columbia, Washington and Oregon to southern California, with inland stands in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Idaho.

**Benefits:** Shade, Fast canopy, Fall color, Wildlife, Birds, Pollinators, Edible

**Good for:** Yard shade, parks, Streambanks, Timber, Reforestation

**Watch out for:** Surface roots, Heavy litter, Large roots

## Care

Plant in sun or part shade in moist, well-drained soil and water through dry summers for the first few years. Prune in summer or when fully dormant, not in spring when sap flows. It has few serious pests; older trees develop heart rot, and verticillium wilt and aphids occur. Give it room away from pavement.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** BC, Canada (Southwestern British Columbia.); AK, United States (Southernmost coastal Alaska.); CA, United States (Coast and Sierra Nevada foothills.); ID, United States (Small disjunct population.); OR, United States; WA, United States
- **Recommended:** San Jose, CA, United States (On the Our City Forest Community Nursery tree species list)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acer-macrophyllum/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/ACMA3
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_macrophyllum