Bigleaf Maple: for tree-houses, fine furniture, and beauty

Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) is a Pacific coast hardwood species, found along the coast from Southern California to British Columbia; it is also present in the Sierra Nevada and coastal mountains. The tree grows on dry to moist sites and is often found on disturbed areas, such as after fire or logging.

Tree identification is easy. There’s the characteristic leaf shape, and this species has the biggest leaves of any maple—they can grow to a foot across. The leaves turn yellow-brown in the fall.

Thousands of tiny yellow-green flowers grow in bunches, with seeds that are called double-winged samaras. Many of the seeds remain on the tree into the winter where they serve as food for small animals.

The bigleaf maple is an important food plant for animals—the seeds are eaten by small mammals and birds and the twigs are food for elk and deer. Insects are attracted to the nectar and yellow pollen. And humans are known to use the flowers in salads and make a type of maple syrup from the sap.

The tree has a close-grained wood that is valued for use in furniture and veneers as well as for making musical instruments. Native peoples used the wood for paddles and dishes and the inner bark for baskets, rope and whisks.

In moist forests, bigleaf maple branches are often covered with hanging mosses. On drier sites, the branches begin lower to the ground, making these trees a favorite for tree-houses.