This large, fast growing maple, a native of eastern North America, can reach over 30m. The silver maple name relates to the silvery backs to the leaves. The Latin name is easily confused with that of the sugar maple – Acer saccarum. Examples of both can be seen in Belfast Botanic Gardens where 5 large silver maples may be seen in a grove in the spring garden, underplanted with hazels and spring bulbs. The flowers open before the leaves. These are smaller that those of the sugar maple but in close-up are the same dramatic red colour.