What To Do If You Find A Silver Maple Tree In Your Yard

When you think of plants you should avoid growing, you most likely picture invasive species. However, even native plants can cause trouble in the wrong spot. If a silver maple tree (Acer saccharinum) has sprouted in your yard, you may want to take a closer look. If it's too close to your home or another structure, it could damage them. You may need to keep it carefully pruned or even remove it!

The first thing to do when you find a silver maple is to observe its surroundings. One of the main issues with silver maples is that they have weak branches that regularly fall during high winds or ice storms. If they're hanging over your home, car, shed, or garden, that could do serious damage. In addition to its branches, the roots of silver maple trees can cause damage to structures and pipes as they grow. Look around the tree for anything that might be in danger if a branch fell or if roots grew through it, and move anything that can be moved. If there are items or structures nearby that can't be moved, you may need to deal with the tree directly.

As long as the roots aren't an issue, you may be able to limit damage from falling branches without fully removing the tree. You'll need to be proactive with pruning, so keep your shears sharp and make sure you know how to prune a tree. Start with branches that are already broken, diseased, or dead. Then cut any that are at risk of becoming damaged, such as branches that cross over each other or have an obvious weak point. Regular inspections by a professional can help if you aren't sure what to look for.

If you don't have the time to dedicate to pruning your silver maple tree, or if the roots are the primary issue, you may have to remove the tree entirely. Depending on its size and age, you may be able to do this on your own. Saplings that are still fairly small can be pulled up by hand or dug up. If you're able to get most of the roots, you may even be able to transplant the tree. Make sure its new home is somewhere far from any structures it could damage, and enjoy its beauty from a distance. 

Larger trees will more likely need to be cut down. If you don't have the experience and tools to do it yourself, hiring professionals is the best and safest way to accomplish this. The last thing you want is for the tree to come down the wrong way, or even for it to lose some branches as it comes down and cause injuries or property damage.

The rest of the tree can be hauled away or repurposed, but what about the stump? You may want to remove the tree stump if it's taking up room, although if you're feeling creative you could reimagine it as a garden table or incorporate it into your decor. However, silver maples will sometimes send up suckers after being cut down. These suckers are small, new stems that will eventually grow into a new silver maple tree if left alone. You can treat the stump with a strong glyphosate herbicide to prevent it from resprouting, but an organic option is to simply keep cutting the suckers back until the roots die.