# A Question about trees

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-trees/257448
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 29, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-trees/257448 "2004-07-29T15:49:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brane\_damaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a587f6/32.png) [@brane\_damaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brane_damaj)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-trees/257448/1 "2004-07-29T15:49:59Z")

</div>

How many years does a silver maple need to grow before it is mature enough to drop seeds?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-trees/257448/2 "2004-07-29T16:37:40Z")

</div>

The won’t produce seeds until they are at least eleven years old, according to [this](http://wildwnc.org/trees/Acer_saccharinum.html):

> [@](#):
>
> Seed ripening and dispersal over the range of the species begins in April and ends in June. The number of seed-filled fruits per kilogram ranges from 1,980 to 7,050 (900 to 3,200/lb), with an average of 3,920 (1,780/lb), making these the largest seeds of any maple species in the United States (38). Dissemination is mainly by wind and occasionally by water. **The minimum seed-bearing age of trees is 11 years.**