Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
The silver maple is a North American native and best known for providing us with maple syrup. The leaves have the classic maple leaf shape and become brilliant yellow and red-orange in the fall. Its leaves are deeply lobed with silvery undersides, and its bark becomes shaggy and gray with age. It can attain a height of more than 100 feet when mature. Plant this tree in sunny locations to create shade, but be aware of brittle limbs and abundant litter production.
Illinois native species.