Big Leaf Maple

There are so many things to love about the Big Leaf Maples (Acer macrophyllum) in Garber Park, an original inhabitant of this canyon. They are the tallest maple reaching a towering 100' and the leaves can be 12" around. This maple is "monoecious", meaning each tree is both male and female and can self pollinate. Squirrels, chipmunks, and birds like the evening grosbeak eat its seeds. The maple also serves as quite a substrate (base material) for many other forms of life such as mosses, lichens, and ferns, particularly in wetter zones like Garber Park. Demonstrating hte interaction of systems, the mats of the additional plants growing on maples itself created more are for other forms of life to grow on, such as invertebrates. When big piles of the mixture of plants falls to the ground, it's decomposition builds nutrient rich soil.