Know the tree
Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is native to the Chicago region and grows fast, reaching 50 to 70 feet tall and 30 to 50 feet wide. Its five-lobed leaves are silvery underneath, and its paired winged seeds are about 2 inches long (Morton Arboretum). It naturally grows along creeks and wet bottomlands, which is why it handles Joliet's clay and wet spots well. U of I Extension lists it among the trees most tolerant of long-saturated soil (Extension).
The catch: weak wood
The Arboretum is unusually blunt about this tree. It calls silver maple overplanted, weak-wooded and prone to storm damage, says that without proper and frequent pruning high winds and ice can break limbs, and notes that many authorities recommend against planting it (Morton Arboretum). It also lists roots that can invade sewer pipes, messy seeds, weedy seedlings in lawns, and high susceptibility to ice damage (same page).
Joliet's call: silver maple is on the City's "Not approved, any size" list, alongside Norway maple, cottonwood and all ash. Nobody plants one in a Joliet parkway (City of Joliet approved tree list).
Why it matters here
In the Aug. 10, 2020 derecho, NWS storm data recorded several hundred trees damaged across northwest Joliet, hundreds of limbs down and large limbs blocking roads (NWS Storm Data). The report doesn't list species, and we won't pretend it does. But big, fast, weak-wooded limbs are exactly the kind that come down in wind like that.
If you're keeping it
- Prune in summer. The Arboretum says to prune silver maple in summer to avoid the "bleeding" you get when it's cut while dormant or in spring (Morton Arboretum).
- Prune regularly, not hard. Frequent, proper pruning is what the Arboretum says keeps limbs from breaking (same page). Topping isn't that; it leaves stubs that resprout weak. See tree trimming in Joliet.
- Water in drought. It's only moderately drought-tolerant; give it extra water in dry spells (same page).
- Watch for problems the Arboretum lists: verticillium wilt, anthracnose, tar spot, cottony maple scale and maple bladder gall (same page).
- Limbs on the house wire? Book a free ComEd service drop first, 1-800-334-7661 (ComEd); our service-drop guide explains it.
Signs it may be time to remove it
These are general warning signs worth having an arborist look at, not a diagnosis:
- Large dead limbs high in the crown, especially over the roof, driveway or the neighbor's yard.
- Splits or cracks where big leaders meet, or a trunk that's hollow or soft at the base.
- Repeated limb failures in ordinary storms.
- Roots in the sewer line, which the Arboretum flags as a known habit of this species (Morton Arboretum).
If it's coming down, see tree removal in Joliet, then grind the stump (call 811 first). If it's on the parkway, it's the City's tree: call 815-724-3650 (Joliet Forestry).
What to plant instead
The City's approved list includes large trees like sugar maple, swamp white oak, bur oak, honeylocust and littleleaf linden; most oaks are marked for spring planting (City list). Our honeylocust and linden guide covers two of the most common Joliet street trees.
Sources
Checked Nov. 4, 2026. If a City rule has changed since, the City’s page wins.