The next trees on the tour provide a comparison of two common maple species, silver maple and sugar maple. In general, maple leaves are easy to recognize because they are opposite on the twig and have palmate veins. Silver maple leaves have jagged margins with small teeth along the lobes. In the spring, silver maple is one of the first trees to bloom. Its winged fruits often have one seed of the pair much smaller than the other.
In the wild, silver maple trees are typically seen only in wet areas, such as lowlands along large rivers. However, it is a commonly planted street tree, so it is very likely to be encountered by city dwellers.
Follow the sidewalk along Magnolia Circle until it curves to the right. Cross the drive to the next tree. next tree