deciduous tree, species of the Maple genus of the Sapindaceae family. The natural distribution area covers the Pacific coast of North America - from southern Alaska to southern California. There are also small inland populations in the Sierra Nevada The tree is up to 35 m high, usually 15 - 20 m. The bark on the branches is greenish, smooth, on old trunks it is grayish-brown, wrinkled, often covered with mosses and lichens. The leaves are large (15 - 30 cm), divided into 5 deeply cut lobes, on petioles 5 - 12 cm.
Flowers are collected 30 in drooping racemose inflorescences 10-15 cm long, greenish-yellow, with medium-sized petals. The fruits are lionfish, fused in pairs at an acute angle (V-shaped). Seed 1-1.5 cm in diameter, wing 4-5 cm long
Large-leaved maple can form clean stands on moist soils along rivers, but it is mainly found in mixed riverine forests or in the second tier of coniferous, evergreen and oak forests. In the cool and humid zone of mixed forests in California, it is one of the dominant species
Undergrowth and plantings of large-leaved maple are heavily overestimated by black-tailed deer and horses The large-leaved maple is the only commercially significant maple species on the Pacific coast of the United States. The wood has a light reddish brown heart, fine structure, moderately heavy, of medium hardness. The structure of wood is often sinuous. Wood is widely used for cladding furniture, in the manufacture of musical instruments, dishes, interior panels.
Maple syrup can also be obtained from this type of maple. Although the concentration of sugar in maple sap is almost the same as that of sugar maple, the syrup tastes different. Commercial juice stocks are not very large. It takes 35 liters of juice to make 1 liter of maple syrup.
