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Native Plant Society of Texas

Bigtooth Maple

Acer grandidentatum

Sapindaceae (Soapberry Family)

Big-toothed Maple, Uvalde Bigtooth Maple, Southwestern Bigtooth Maple, Canyon Maple, Sabinal Maple, Western Sugar Maple

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Native Habitat: Woodland, Wetland or Riparian
Chihuahuan Deserts, Edwards Plateau

Maintenance

Best in alkaline soils. Winter or Spring: Apply 2″ – 4″ of mulch and a thin 1″ – 2″ layer of compost over and beyond the root zone. Do not allow mulch to contact tree trunk. Foliage tips may burn in hot summers. May require extensive watering, but do not overwater. Prune only if necessary and less is better. Protect bark, add fencing for deer protection.

Comments

Brilliant yellow to red fall color.Dense shade & surface roots underneath; use low-maintenance native groundcovers. A shrubby or somewhat tree-like maple, this species usually matures at 10-15 ft. but is sometimes taller. Habitat notes: Moist soils of canyons in mountains and plateaus; in woodlands and riparian zones. Habitat Notes: exists in a very restricted area of Edwards Plateau, and the Guadalupe Mountains.

Growth Form

Tree

Height

40 to
50 ft

Spread

10 to
15 ft

Soil Type(s)

Loam, Clay, Alkaline, Calcareous, Moist

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Medium

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Bloom Color

Yellow, Green

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Fall Color, Seeds, Forage

Wildlife Benefit

Browsers, Birds, Small Mammals

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References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ACGR3. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Acer+grandidentatum&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=22739&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 331. 6) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48., 7) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014, 8) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=28760#null