Acer grandidentatum
"Bigtooth Maple"As its name suggests, the bigtooth maple is most easily identified by its distinctive 3- to 5-lobed toothed leaves. Also known as Wasatch Maple due to its prevalence along the Rocky Mountains, this deciduous tree-like shrub is best known for its vibrant red, orange and yellow foliage in early autumn. In Utah, it often codominates with Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) in the montane chaparral. At higher altitudes, it grows alongside various fir species.
Depending on location and growing conditions, this plant can grow 10-50 feet tall as a multi-trunked shrub or as a tree. The elevation range of this species is from 4,000 to 8,000 feet and occupies a wide range of soil types and water conditions. It is most often found in canyons at the base of a slope in cool, moist, and shaded conditions, though it is quite tolerant of hot, dry summers and makes an excellent landscape plant.
Fruit is produced every 2-3 years in the form of a two-winged samara from small clustered flowers. Bigtooth maple reproduces both sexually and vegetatively. Vegetative reproduction my means of layering within the canopy is common. In nurseries, portions of bigtooth maple can be grafted onto fruit tree woodstocks in order to quickly establish a viable plant.
During fires Bigtooth maple stands burn less often than those of adjacent vegetation as a result of sparse understory due to shading as well as the rapid decomposition of fallen leaves.
The seeds, bark, and sap of the bigtooth maple are edible, though it is not recommended for making maple syrup because it takes about 160 gallons of bigtooth maple sap to make just one gallon of syrup. Its close relative, the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the best source for maple syrup.
