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Growing Home: Boxelder Trees

Boxelder trees grow fast, up 4 feet a year and up to 50 feet high when mature. Boxelder trees are in the Maple family and thus produce a winged seed (known as samaras) that flutters down like a helicopter. The Boxelder bug feeds on these seeds which only occur on female trees. Because Boxelder trees re-seed long distances, they are often considered weed trees. One Boxelder variety is known as “Sensation,” and has been bred to be a well-behaved landscape tree. Sensation Boxelder is a male tree and thus attracts few boxelder bugs. Sensation Boxelder is tolerant of heat, cold, drought and alkaline soils, which makes it a good choice for Colorado.