bigleaf maple
Acer macrophyllum
Its leaves can grow up to 12 inches across, and its bark is so moisture-rich that it often supports more weight in mosses and ferns than its own foliage.
- Scientific name
- Acer macrophyllum
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Sapindales › Sapindaceae › Acer
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist, low-elevation temperate rainforests, riparian zones, and mixed hardwood forests.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis)
- Range
- Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California
- Size
- 15-30 meters (50-100 feet) tall, trunk diameter up to 1.2 meters (4 feet)
- Lifespan
- 100-300 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Urban development, logging, prolonged drought from climate change, and Sooty Bark Disease.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This species is entirely safe to approach. Enjoy its shade and admire the epiphytic mosses growing on its bark. Avoid climbing young or fragile branches to prevent damage to the tree, and watch for falling limbs during high winds.
Acer macrophyllum , the bigleaf maple or Oregon maple , is a large deciduous tree in the genus Acer .
Photo: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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