Its reproductive strategy involves dispersing numerous seeds which germinate on the forest floor, creating a bank of persistent seedlings. Flowers are insect pollinated. Small mammals and birds may also disperse some seed. Germination occurs on both mineral and organic seedbeds. Predation of seed by rodents can significantly reduce germination.
Young seedlings are susceptible to rodent, slug, and other invertebrate predation.
Bigleaf maple seedlings are highly palatable to black-tailed deer, and intensive browsing frequently retards seedling growth. Studies in Oregon show that both recent germinants and older seedlings are found in the understory of Douglas-fir forests. Beneath undisturbed young conifer overstories or under dense understory vegetation, seedlings rarely survive long, due to low light levels. Seedlings that were older than 15 years were mostly found in stands that had sustained windthrow 20 years earlier. Seedlings readily germinated in clearcuts, but an influx of herbaceous vegetation in subsequent years dramatically diminished the light intensity reaching seedlings and caused large die-offs.