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Acer grandidentatum

Nutt.

Bigtooth Maple

G4Apparently Secure (G4G5) Found in 80 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum). Photo by Troy Murphy, CC0 1.0, via iNaturalist.
Troy Murphy, CC0 1.0
bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum). Photo by Wendy A, CC0 1.0, via iNaturalist.
Wendy A, CC0 1.0
bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum). Photo by Alan Weakley, CC0 1.0, via iNaturalist.
Alan Weakley, CC0 1.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.161573
Element CodePDACE01060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderSapindales
FamilySapindaceae
GenusAcer
Other Common Names
bigtooth maple (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Taxonomic Comments
FNA (vol. 13, 2024) does not distinguish infra taxa in Acer grandidentatum. FNA (vol. 13, 2024) states "various infrataxa have often been recognized in A. grandidentatum, but here it is treated conservatively without varieties, pending careful study of the variation across its highly discontinuous distribution." In contrast, Kartesz (1994) distinguished A. grandidentatum var. grandidentatum and A. grandidentatum var. sinuosum.
Conservation Status
Review Date2004-07-07
Change Date2004-07-07
Edition Date2004-07-07
Edition AuthorsMaybury, K.
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
Native in much of the American southwest and Intermountain West. Common (with Quercus gambellii) on lower mountain and foothill slopes in Utah and adjacent southeastern Idaho, Wyoming. Spotty/irregular distribution elsewhere.
Range Extent Comments
ID to N. Mexico, W. to W. AZ, E. to OK, TX. Much narrower in northern half of range, concentrated in N. central UT.
Threat Impact Comments
Grazing, housing development pressure at some locations.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Small scrubby tree, 4-8 m tall; leaves simple, usually five lobed, dark green above, pubescent beneath turning yellow-red in autumn (Ackerfield 2012, Cronquist el al. 1997).

Habitat

Moist soil in canyons of high mountains and plateaus, ponderosa pine forest and scrub, 4700 to 7000 ft.
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNR
ProvinceRankNative
IdahoSNRYes
ColoradoS1Yes
TexasSNRYes
WyomingS3Yes
UtahSNRYes
ArizonaSNRYes
NevadaS1Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
New MexicoS3Yes
Plant Characteristics
Economic Value (Genus)Yes
Roadless Areas (80)
Arizona (13)
AreaForestAcres
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Hot AirApache-Sitgreaves National Forests31,712
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
Mitchell PeakApache-Sitgreaves National Forests35,398
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
Painted BluffsApache-Sitgreaves National Forests43,118
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Pine Mountain Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest6,518
Pine Mountain Wilderness ContiguousPrescott National Forest3,129
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
PalisadesCaribou-Targhee National Forest122,002
New Mexico (9)
AreaForestAcres
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Last Chance CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
Little Dog And Pup CanyonsLincoln National Forest25,412
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
Sawyers PeakGila National Forest59,743
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
Utah (53)
AreaForestAcres
418006Uinta National Forest11,714
418007Uinta National Forest6,816
418012Uinta National Forest25,758
418013Uinta National Forest14,643
418014Uinta National Forest9,683
418015Uinta National Forest17,289
418016Uinta National Forest35,240
418017Uinta National Forest19,631
418021Uinta National Forest6,255
418024Uinta National Forest51,699
418025Uinta National Forest32,698
418026Uinta National Forest14,038
418027Uinta National Forest13,884
418028Uinta National Forest34,002
418029Uinta National Forest15,673
418040Uinta National Forest1,702
Beehive PeakFishlake National Forest59,137
Burch CreekWasatch-Cache National Forest6,938
Cedar KnollManti-Lasal National Forest22,502
Circleville MountainFishlake National Forest24,142
Clarkston Mtn.Caribou National Forest7,099
CopleysFishlake National Forest11,683
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Dairy ForkManti-Lasal National Forest30,222
FishhookDixie National Forest12,959
Joe LottFishlake National Forest19,826
Lewis PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest11,616
Lone Peak ContiguousWasatch-Cache National Forest874
Mahogany RangeWasatch-Cache National Forest11,409
Middle FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest3,296
Mt. AireWasatch-Cache National Forest9,681
Mt. Logan NorthWasatch-Cache National Forest18,930
Mt. Logan SouthWasatch-Cache National Forest17,014
Mt. Logan WestWasatch-Cache National Forest5,285
Mt. NaomiWasatch-Cache National Forest41,922
Mt. OlympusWasatch-Cache National Forest9,982
North FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest8,148
North PavantFishlake National Forest53,262
Oak CreekFishlake National Forest54,053
PavantFishlake National Forest42,560
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
Public GroveWasatch-Cache National Forest6,341
Right Hand Fork LoganWasatch-Cache National Forest15,023
SanpitchManti-Lasal National Forest29,129
South FrancisWasatch-Cache National Forest3,374
Stansbury MountainsWasatch-Cache National Forest39,696
Stoddard MountainDixie National Forest13,165
Temple PeakWasatch-Cache National Forest24,081
Tushar MountainFishlake National Forest39,992
Twin PeaksWasatch-Cache National Forest6,157
Upper South ForkWasatch-Cache National Forest16,811
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
White PineWasatch-Cache National Forest1,942
Wyoming (4)
AreaForestAcres
Grayback RidgeBridger-Teton National Forest295,113
PalisadesTarghee National Forest1,121
Salt River RangeBridger-Teton National Forest235,661
Wilderness Study AreaTarghee National Forest51,961
References (8)
  1. Ackerfield, J. 2015. Flora of Colorado. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, TX. 818 pp.
  2. Albee, B.J., L.M. Shultz, and S. Goodrich. 1988. Atlas of the vascular plants of Utah. Utah Museum Natural History Occasional Publication 7, Salt Lake City, Utah. 670 pp.
  3. Cronquist, A., A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal, P.K. Holmgren. 1997. Intermountain Flora, Volume 3, Part A Subclass Rosidae (except Fabales). The New York Botanical Gardens. Bronx, New York. 446 pp.
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2024. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 13. Magnoliophyta: Geraniaceae to Apiaceae. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 566 pp.
  5. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  6. Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
  7. Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2025. Flora of the southeastern United States Web App. Edition of February 18, 2025. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Online. Available: https://fsus.ncbg.unc.edu (accessed 2025).
  8. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins (eds.) 1993. A Utah flora. 2nd edition. Brigham Young Univ., Provo, Utah. 986 pp.