The silver maple produces brittle wood with limited economic value. Boxelder, sometimes called ashleaf maple, is the most widespread maple in North America. It often grows along streams and swamps throughout much of the United States and Canada. It is also found in parts of Mexico and Central America. The male and female flowers of the species grow on different trees.
Female trees grow in wetter sites, and male trees grow in drier places.
In the past, landscapers often used the boxelder as a street tree because it grows fast when young. However, they rarely plant it today because its branches split off easily. Boxelders produce soft, weak wood that has little economic value. Bigleaf maple is the only tree-sized maple found in the Pacific Northwest. It often grows in open areas and near lowland streams.