Box Elder (Acer negundo)

Family: Aceraceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

The boxelder is an undesirable tree for many urban situations and in some cities, planting it may be illegal. The undesirable characteristics are brittle, weak wood, short life, susceptibility to boxelder bug, and trunk decay. But the tree will grow just about anywhere and therefore it may have uses due to its adaptability. The best thing about the tree is that it will grow on adverse sites where more desirable trees may not.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Leaves, Sap/Syrup, Bark/Inner Bark

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

refreshing drink or be concentrated into a syrup. — The sap contains a reasonable quantity of sugar and can be used as a refreshing drink or be concentrated into a syrup.; The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods.; The sugar content is inferior to A.; saccharum according to one report whilst another says that it is highly valued as a producer of sweet sap.

Habitat & North American Range

Found in a variety of soil types, growing best in lowland sites along rivers, streams, ponds or seasonally flooded flats. (Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)