I was raised calling this tree a silver maple but I am being argued with now

[just_sawing]

I always thought of this tree as a silver maple. The owner asked me to identify this tree but others have jumped in and told me I am wrong. Help if it is not a silver maple what is it?


 

[WDH]

Looks like big tooth aspen, Populus grandidentata.

[GAB]

Definitely a wrong leaf for what I've been told is a silver maple.
Gerald

[beenthere]

Not silver maple. Sorry,  ;)

Here is a link that shows the silver maple leaf and bark. Very "silvery" whitish underside to the leaves.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_saccharinum

[Gary_C]

Looks like big tooth aspen, Populus grandidentata.

That guy knows his trees. 

[SwampDonkey]

I would say hybrid poplar, these are silvery on the underside of the leaves. Large tooth is a bit different in leaf shape, but similar. I see a few hybrids around here, they are much bushier trees. They sure aren't maple. ;)

[WDH]

Is the hybrid natural or contrived?

[SwampDonkey]

Horticultural breeding.

[just_sawing]

They are fairly common here mostly in the yards. I have seen them pretty well all over Tn with some of them on old farms.

[RynSmith]

I would've guessed white poplar, but it's always safe to defer to WDH. 

[WDH]

Ryn,

I am just going from the picture.  If the underside of the leaf is very bright silver, I think that you might have it. 

[Corley5]

It looks different than our big tooth aspen  :-\

[WDH]

Looks like RynSmith takes the cake  ;D. 

[Texas Ranger]

I'm with you fellas.

[Stroover]

You can tell by the bark and leaves that it's deffinitely some type of poplar. Take a bite off one of the new, young  twigs. Does it taste like aspirin? If so, it is. (traditionally, that's how they got acetylsalicylic acid, the main ingredient in aspirin). If you ever need aspirin while in the woods and have none, you can chew on a twig or make a tea with some. Works pretty good, but it doesn't taste the best.

[SliverPicker]

Not a big toothed aspen.  Looks like some thing else, but don't know what.

[WDH]

Ryn got it.  Check out Populus alba.  A native of North Africa and Europe. 

[SwampDonkey]

I read up on it a little, apparenty a lot planted in Cape Breton Island, NS. Any I see here don't grow straight and tall, they get real limby, almost maple like with the crown shape.

[RynSmith]

They verge on invasive around here, although apparently mostly urban; I've never seen any in the forest.

[WDH]

Me neither.  I have only seen them domesticated. 

[SwampDonkey]

I've never seen any non-native tree take over the woods here either. They aren't tough enough. ;D

In fact the way it is, they really have to work hard to establish spruce trees on sugar maple ground to. It sure won't be pure spruce. Sugar maple is tough. If you don't brush the plantation, the spruce are not going to make it.

[curdog]

Swamp donkey, I'll be glad to send you some seed from our very best stock of invasives if you'd like to try to grow some. :D There are parts of my county where the invasives are growing on top of other invasives. I just don't want you to feel left out from the joy of dealing with them. 8)
Kudzu, privet, tree of heaven, paulownia, miscanthus, japanese laquer ,Japanese knotweed, bittersweet, English ivy, bamboo,stilt grass,  sericia lespedeza,callory pear, take your pick

[WDH]

take your pick

Send him some privet  :D. 

[thurlow]

Locally, they were known as (I know that don't make it so) silver leaf poplar;  only ones I ever saw were in folk's yards.