Short but Mightily Stout on Eaton St.: Silver Maple

This amazing Silver Maple – acer sacharinium-- has a circumference of 187 inches, making it the biggest tree in Northville by Big Tree Hunt standards: Circumference. Though it is not the tallest tree around, the shear girth of the trunk is remarkable. Just try giving it a hug! Silver Maples are often called Soft Maples (relative to Hard Maples such as Sugar Maple) due to their relatively weak smaller branches. Silver Maples develop flowers in the very early spring or I’d say even late winter. After that, the helicopter seeds (called samaras) develop and take flight. Actually, because they are heavy, they don’t fly well but they make up for it with numbers! I’ve seen these trees grow to enormous sizes. The trunks and main branches can be quite strong due to their massive girth. It’s hard to say how old this tree is, probably around 100? It was probably planted when the houses were built. What a great tree!