Feature Tree - November 2007
Sensation Boxelder

Sensation boxelder, Acer negundo ‘Sensation’ (Aceraceae family)

Habit: Tree has a pyramidal habit as a young tree becoming more elliptical with maturity. The right angle branching and strong central leader growth habit makes this tree a good choice for streets and parks.

Hardiness: Zone 4 to 6

Leaves: Young emerging leaves have a reddish-orange color to them giving the tree a multicolored appearance in the spring and early summer. In the summer leaves are a light green color. Fall foliage color is orange to red and very showy.

Twigs: On one year-old branches the bark is a light green turning light brown in couple years and gray-brown with maturity.

Bark: The main trunk is gray and slightly furrowed.

Flowers: In nature boxelders are either male or female. Sensation boxelder is a male tree selection. The male flowers are small and grow in early summer. They are not showy.

Fruit: Because this tree is a male it has no seeds.

Landscape Value: Boxelders have been banned in some communities because of the box elder bug, which infests the female trees. Boxelder bugs spend the winter as adults and congregate in and around homes making themselves a nuisance. Since Sensation boxelder is a male tree it is much less attractive to the boxelder bug. Boxelder trees are usually very tolerant of temperature extremes, drought and high pH soils, which makes Sensation boxelder an excellent choice for both plains and mountain communities.

Diseases/Insects: No boxelder bugs have been observed on Sensation box elders planted in western Colorado landscapes. .

Information Sources:
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael A. Dirr