By Raven Michelle
(Lipan Apache, Hawaiian, Mohawk)
When I was a child, I would take these seeds with two wings throw them into the air and watch them swirl to the ground. The other kids would do the same and we would call these seeds helicopter seeds. I couldn’t tell you the type of Maple tree these seeds came from but on a warm summer day under the shade of the tree we played a fun little game. We would see how far the seeds would fly if a breeze picked up and whose helicopter seed would stay afloat the longest.
There are around 132 species of maple (Acer) trees around the world. They are found in North America, Africa, Europe, and mostly in Asia. Maple trees are part of the (Sapindaceae) soapberry family. There are thirteen maple tree species native to North America. Three maple tree species are native to the PNW and Willamette Valley: Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), Vine Maple (Acer circinatum), and the lesser-known Douglas Maple (Acer glabrum).
Photos of Bigleaf Maple or Oregon Maple
Weighing in at one hundred feet tall and fifty feet wide is The Pacific Northwest’s Bigleaf Maple. Known as the largest maple species in the world, it dwarfs anything found in New England or Canada. It can tower over other broadleaf trees. This maple is also a fast growing tree. It likes to grow five to six feet per year. Think you got rid of that Bigleaf Maple by cutting it down? Think again. It can grow multiple new shoots into multi-stemmed trees off of the cut or fallen stumps. Now that is impressive! When they ripen, the seeds called “Samaras” spiral down through the air, spinning like helicopter blades to the ground.
In the fall, their leaves rival the east coast maples with bright yellow, and orange hues. In the summer their big leaves provide shade from the heat and is often seen on large plots of land. While it is not advised to grow Bigleaf Maples close to buildings and sidewalks the roots will push up foundations and concrete. Also, because Bigleaf Maples are so tall, a person planting this spectacular tree has to take power lines into consideration.
Bigleaf Maple likes moist soils with good drainage. They can be found along low elevations and slopes, but also along some arid parts of the Columbia River Gorge. Older Bigleaf Maples will be a host to layers of various mosses and Licorice Fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza), once treasured by the native elders who made tea out of the tubers. People love the size and shade from this lovely giant, its wood is used by woodworkers and for firewood. Bigleaf Maple is also used traditionally by local tribes for carving paddles and bowls. The inner bark is used for basketry and the outer bark used as a tea. The sprouted seeds are consumed as a food source.
Photos of Vine Maple, Acer cirinatum
The Vine Maple (Acer cirinatum) is a delicate little tree that is tough and easily adaptable to vine out in the shade or become more short and shrubby in the sunlight. Vine Maple loves to become the reigning champion understory plant and take over. Their leaves are small with five to nine lobes, around two to four inches. The tree gets no higher than twenty feet and is a better Maple to plant than the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum), very pretty Maple not native to the Willamette. The Vine Maples that grow in the sun take on that beautiful hue of red similar to the Japanese Maple, while those Vine Maples in the shade take on a yellow hue tinged around the edges with red.
The Vine Maple also has helicopter seeds, or samaras, like their Bigleaf relatives. They like to spread more through their seeker branches, another reason they are called Vine Maple. They like to grow among other trees and this makes it hard for backpackers, and loggers. Vine maples have been known to survive pesticides and clear cutting. The word to think about Vine Maple is survivor. They will survive almost anything thrown at them and are great for gardens and back yards. Tribal uses of Vine Maple include basketry, small tools, cradles, snowshoe frames, fire wood, and fishing gear. The wood is pliable, so is a great source of working wood.
Our last Maple Friend of the Pacific Northwest is Douglas Maple (Acer glabrum), the least well known of the Maples.
Photos of Douglas Maple, Acer glabrum
The Rocky Mountain Maple usually known as the Douglas Maple is the Maple that people know the least. It is similar to the Vine Maple. This Maple shares the same areas as the Vine Maple but prefers drier spaces along slopes. Douglas Maples grow straighter than Vine Maples. Douglas Maples leaves are two to five inches. Never growing above twenty feet. The Douglas Maples leaves are more serrated than the other Maples. They tend to be a companion species with Vine Maples. Like the other PNW Maples, Douglas Maples they also have winged samaras. Douglas Maples have yellow, red, and orange hues in the fall. Douglas Maples are adaptable and are great for back yards and gardens but hard to find in nurseries. Can be collected from public forests as long as there is a permit.
Native Tribes from the Pacific Northwest utilize Douglas maples for crafting tools due to its pliable wood, using it to make snowshoe frames, bows, spear handles, drum hoops, cooking utensils, cradle frames, teepee pegs, and ceremonial items. The inner bark is used to weave baskets and mats. Decoctions from the wood and bark are used for medicinal purposes, including for treating nausea.
Childhood is punctuated by nature. The wonder of happy memories is often created with Nature playing a prominent background character. Maples are all over the United States and my stories of the helicopter seeds are the markers of these wonderful playful trees in my youth. The cool shade in the summer, the beautiful leaves in the fall. It is important to get back to our native species of plants, not just for the good of the soils, the native birds and animals, but for happier spaces that hold place in our memories and can reach into the present moment to provide healing and comfort.
Sources
https://nativeplantspnw.com/douglas-maple-acer-glabrum-var-douglasii/
https://wyeastblog.org/2016/05/31/meet-the-northwest-maples/
Eyewitness Handbooks, ‘Trees, The Visual Guide to more than 500 species of trees from around the world’ by Allen J. Coombes
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