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Common Name: ashleaf maple, ash maple, black ash, boxelder, boxelder maple, California boxelder, cut-leaved maple, inland boxelder, manitoba maple, negundo maple, red river maple, stinking ash, sugar ash, three-leaved maple, western boxelder
Family: Aceraceae (maple)
Genus: Acer
Latin Name: Acer Negundo

The ashleaf maple is an unusual maple in that its leaves more closely resemble ash leaves. This is a small tree which can grow to about 30-50 feet tall but is prone to damage from wind, weather and boxelder bugs.  The ashleaf maple is prone to sprouting suckers at the base (see picture to right for similarity to poison ivy). The leaves appear in opposite pairs divided into 3 to 7 leaflets along the central leaf stalk.

Interesting Fact: Ashleaf maple produces sap that is higher in sugar content than sugar maple; it can be used to produce syrup as for sugar maple.

The leaves of the ashleaf maple appear in oposite pairs divided into 3 to 7 leaflets. This sample pulled from a young tree had only 3 leaflet sets. Notice that the middle leaf does not have a longer stem as does poison ivy.

Ashleaf maples are prone to spouting at the base of the tree. This looks much like poison ivy particularly with the 3-leafllet configuration.

A more mature ashleaf maple showing predominately 5 leaflet leaves.