Lushootseed Name: č̓uʔɬac (pronounced ch-oh-tlatz)

Location: In the Heron Rookery around the trail stand several mature specimens.

Summary: In the forested grove known as Heron Haven stand several grand mature specimens of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most captivating broadleaf trees, and what a broadleaf it is. The Bigleaf Maple has leaves which frequently grow to be more than a foot across, with a size unrivaled by just any other tree on campus. They grow from British Columbia all the way down to California, across a range of elevations and climates, but wherever they grow the shade they cast on a hot summer’s day is difficult to beat. Washington’s other two maple species are both small understory species, but the Bigleaf has the distinction of growing larger than any other maple species on the planet, sometimes greater than 125’ tall and 11’ in diameter. One of the more remarkable things about the tree is that its large size and broad light-capturing leaves allow this species to grow even in the dense evergreen forests of our state where most broadleaves would find themselves outcompeted. 

The Bigleaf Maple has several traits which endear it to human usage. First, there is the matter of Maple syrup. The practice of Maple tapping was first developed by Native Americans on other Maple species in the midwestern regions of North America, including the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Potawatomi. The practice requires cold temperatures below freezing to work, and the low sugar content of our local maples kept them from being commercially tapped for their sap until fairly recently. Producing one gallon of Bigleaf Maple syrup requires 80 gallons of Bigleaf Maple sap! Beyond the edible sap, the early spring chains of greenish yellow flowers are likewise delectable. Coast Salish peoples have long utilized the fresh sprouts of Maple seedlings as a source of a delightful garnish or salad. These fresh greens can be intentionally grown from the dual-winged “helicopter” seeds, known as samaras. 

A final notable feature of this species is that it serves as a perfect microhabitat of moss, lichen, and ferns, which particularly adore this species. These life forms, called epiphytes, cling so thickly onto the bark in some places as to make it appear that the branches are draped in heavy green blankets. For many of the Coast Salish nations this tree is a traditional source of wood for paddles and carving, fiber for basket weaving, and medicine for sore throats.

Historical Background: The Bigleaf maple is one of our magnificent native hardwoods. It was also brought over to England by Scottish botanist, David Douglas for whom the Douglas-fir is named after. It is commercially harvested for lumber in the Pacific Northwest and used as veneer in furniture. For many Native American tribes in its native range, the Bigleaf maple is referred to as the ‘paddle-tree’ for its use in the construction of paddles and other tools. It is also used medicinally by those tribes to treat sore throats. The sap can be used to produce maple syrup, but it yields less sap than the sugar maple. 

Native

Native Range: Pacific Northwest to California

Identifying Features light: The Bigleaf Maple is one of the more common native broadleaf trees of Washington state, distinguished by massive dark green palmate leaves which can often be a full foot across. The trunks are often multi-stemmed, exhibiting variable levels of apical control depending on density of the trees surrounding them. In spring they are draped with long chains of greenish yellow flowers in a cylindrical shape which appear with or just before new leaves. In fall the Bigleaf maple is immensely showy, turning a beautiful yellow or orange color.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: Large and broad in open settings, exhibiting greater apical control in denser stands of forest, often multi-stemmed with initially smooth gray bark turning darker and ridged with age. Mosses and lichens favor this tree and often older specimens will be draped with hanging coats of other growth. Licorice ferns similarly favor these trees and may often be seen adorning its trunks.

2. Leaves: Leaves are large and palmate, a dark shiny green on top and lighter pale green below. The grow oppositely and are 6-12’ (15-30cm) across. In fall they turn a beautiful orange or yellow before being dropped. When cut, the leaf stalk exudes a milky white juice.

3. Bark: Initially smooth and light gray the bark darkens with age, becoming rough and ridged. Mosses, lichens, and ferns (especially licorice fern) favor its trunk, creating sweeping sheets of other growth off of mature trees.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Flowers appear before or with leaves and are a greenish yellow color. They grow in a cylindrical chain/cluster off numerous short stalks. Flowers give rise to initially green turning to golden brown paired winged seeds 1-2’ (3-6cm) in length. The wings are spread in a V shape (as opposed to being opposite at 180 degrees like those of the vine maple) and are sometimes called helicopters due to the way in which they spin slowly to the earth on release.