United States Department of Agriculture, 



BUREAU OF FORESTRY. 



NOTES ON FOREST TREES SUITABLE FOR PLANTING IN THE 

 UNITED STATES. 



,41 



BOXELDER (Acer negundo). 



DISTRIBUTION. 



The Boxelder is among the most widely distributed of American 

 trees. East of the Appalachian range it is found in small numbers 

 from Vermont and Ontario to Florida ; it is more abundant from Man- 

 itoba and the Allegheny Mountains to the foothills of the Rockies, 

 extending southward to western Texas and Arizona. In California it 

 reappears as a distinct variety. 



It is most common in valleys and along bluffs overlooking water 

 courses in the Middle West, seldom occurring as the ruling species but 

 usually as scattered individuals or in groups among the other hardwoods. 



The range of the Boxelder has been considerably increased by plant- 

 ing and has been made to include most of the New England States, 

 while in the West it has been successfully introduced into regions 

 which are much drier than the river bottoms which are its natural 

 home. The best region for economic planting comprises the greater 

 part of the treeless West from North Dakota to Texas. 



CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWTH ASSOCIATE SPECIES. 



Compared with its associate trees the Boxelder is rather small. 

 Because of this, and because of its great shade enduring qualities, it 

 usually occupies the lower story of the forest in which it grows. In 

 the Northeast its average height is from 30 to 40 feet, its diameter 1 to 

 2 feet. In the Carolinas it is only 20 to 30 feet in height. The largest 

 trees are found in the North Central States, where specimens 70 feet in 

 height and 3 feet in diameter occur. It is usually a rapid-growing 

 tree, although its growth depends largely on the character of the soil. 



When grown in the open the trunk often divides at a short distance 

 from the ground into several stout, wide-spreading branches ; when in 

 a dense stand a single upright bole is produced, although the clear 

 length is usually short. Perfectly straight boles are rarely seen. 



The most common associate species are White Elm, Hackberry, 

 Silver Maple, Black Walnut, Green Ash, and Kentucky Coffeetree. 



