Box Elder tree
Rating: 1
Size: 25-50 ft
Shade: good shade
Type: softwood, fast growing
A native of Layton & Ogden Utah, the Box Elder, or Box Elder Maple Tree is a very messy softwood that frequently looks ragged or disheveled from limbs breaking and falling to the ground. The main problem with this tree is that box elder females have thousands of seeds and they also attract the very pesky box elder bug. It is not uncommon for hundreds of box elder bugs to swarm a home’s window. As you might guess, box elder bugs make their way into homes. They are harmless but annoying.
This tree is also a fast growing softwood that spreads rapidly. Saplings grow in landscaping and even in cracks in the driveway. Like the maple, the box elder has helicopterlike fins that propel the seeds far and wide. Because the box elder tree wood is so soft, it is prone to breaking, making it a hazard for people and structures near the tree.