How to Identify and Recognize a Silver Maple Tree

Here's a good, easy way to identify and recognize a silver maple tree .

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Is it a rather tall tree? right.

2. 

   Does the leaf have that classic maple leaf shape? I find the silver maple has that distinctive shape that people instantly recognize as part of the maple family.

3. Does the leaf have 5 major veins protruding away from the main vein? This is a classic characteristic of the silver maple tree. See photo in step 2. Note the veins.

4. Is the trunk fairly short? Silver maple trunk has a fairly short trunk that ends where the rest of the tree splits off. The one shown above is only about three feet or so tall.

5. 

   Look at the end of the branch. Remember the stem color and leaf shape

6. 

   Lastly, look at the bark. Is it fairly gray (silver :-) with long, deeply cut ridges? Silver maple tree's have this characteristic.