{"id":73,"date":"2026-01-28T11:21:59","date_gmt":"2026-01-28T19:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/maplesyrup\/?page_id=73"},"modified":"2026-07-06T12:00:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T19:00:33","slug":"otheruses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.wsu.edu\/maplesyrup\/otheruses\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn About Bigleaf Maple"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Silvicultural Characteristics<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum<\/em>) is one of Washington State’s three native maple species, including vine maple (Acer circinatum<\/em>) and Douglas maple (Acer glabrum var. douglasii<\/em>). It grows abundantly in Western Washington below 3,000 feet in elevation, with isolated populations occurring east of the Cascades. It’s North America’s largest maple species, reaching diameters of 36-48 inches and heights of 100 feet or more. It’s namesake refers to the large deeply-lobed leaves often spanning 12-inches across. Some trees can live as long as 300 years, which is fairly long-lived for hardwood species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bigleaf maple is moderately shade-tolerant, but also thrives in open conditions, allowing it to establish and grow at any point in forest succession. Dense, multi-stem stands form after harvest or other large scale disturbance (e.g. fire) due to it’s ability to vigorously stump sprout after being damaged. In established forests it is often found growing in the understory and recruiting into small openings in the canopy. It can grow in a wide variety of sites and associated vegetation, but prefers deep loamy soils with high moisture often found on toe-slopes and streambanks. It’s commonly found growing alongside Douglas-fir, western redcedar, red alder, western hemlock, and grand fir. The understories of maple-dominant stands are typically lush and can include sword fern, serviceberry, salal, salmonberry, huckleberry, vine maple, hazelnut, false lily-of-the-valley, wild ginger, and more. Bigleaf maple is also home to a wide variety of epiphytes (mosses, ferns, lichens), which grow on the bark of the trunk and branches.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n

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Photo: Patrick Shults, WSU Extension.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

To learn more about the silvics of bigleaf maple, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n