Box Elder
Acer negundo
Photographed along Sycamore Creek in the Pine Mountain Wilderness, Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA. 07 June 2009.
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Small swellings called galls may occasionally be found on some leaves caused by the feeding of minute mites.
LEAVES: Winter deciduous, compound leaves have usually three or five, or
sometimes seven, dentate leaflets. Occasionally leaves are not divided down to
midrib and in that case are not compound; leaf morphology even on the same tree
can vary considerably. The shiny, dark green leaves could be mistaken by a
novice as poison ivy.
TREE: In Arizona's sycamore woodlands Box Elder often grows as a small
tree or large shrub. Under ideal conditions it reaches large tree size.
FLOWERS: Small flowers without petals are borne early in spring in long
pendulous spikes of many flowers (above). Flowers usually before leaves emerge fully.
RANGE: Found in moist habitats throughout North America.
FRUIT: Winged seeds (samaras).
UNARMED. No spines or thorns.