Acer Negundo - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

Indicative of its familiarity to many people over a large geographic range, A. negundo has numerous common names.

The names "Box Elder" and "Boxelder Maple" are based upon the similarity of its whitish wood to that of boxwood and the similarity of its pinnately compound leaves with those of some species of elder. This is the only North American maple with compound leaves.

Other common names are based upon this maple's similarity to ash, its preferred environment, its sugary sap, a description of its leaves, its binomial name, and so on. These names include (but are not limited to) Ash-, Cut-, or Three-leaf (or -leaved) Maple; Ash Maple; Sugar Ash; Negundo Maple; and River Maple.

Common names may also designate a particular subspecies. For example, a common name for A. negundo subsp. interius may be preceded by "Inland" (as in "Inland Boxelder Maple"). A common name for A. negundo subsp. californicum may be preceded by "California" or "Western".