Keystone Value: The genus Acer (Maple) supports over 280 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars, providing food for a variety of birds and mammals.

Box Elder (Acer negundo) is a medium sized, fast growing deciduous tree that grows naturally in moist to wet soils along waterways, flood plains and wooded areas. It tolerates a wide range of soils including poor dry ones, and is usually recommended for use in areas where other ornamental trees typically struggle to grow. The small greenish yellow flowers bloom from March to April in drooping clusters, supporting early season native pollinators. Birds and small mammals eat the seeds, which persist throughout the winter. The leaves are a light to medium green, turning yellow in the fall, and the sap has a high sugar content and can be used to produce a syrup, known as mountain molasses. Box Elder is a larval host for the Imperial Moth (shown above), among others.

We ship from two locations:

• Maryland – Our nursery in Maryland is perfectly located to serve the Eastern United States within a 2-3 day shipping window. You will receive the most reasonable shipping rates from our Maryland location if you live east of Ohio.

• Illinois – Our nursery in Illinois is perfectly located to serve the Midwestern United states within a 2-3 day shipping window. You will receive the most reasonable shipping rates from our Illinois location if you live west of West Virginia.