Acer nigrum

Habitat: Mesic to dry, calcareous upland forests and woodlands; rich floodplain forests. Frequent in the Ridge and Valley province below 600 m (2000 ft) elevation (rarely to 1200 m), often locally common in areas underlain by limestone, dolostone, or calcareous shales; rare elsewhere in the mountains and the piedmont, where it occurs on rich bluffs and floodplain along the Potomac River in Fairfax and Loudoun cos., along the James River in Buckingham Co., and along the Smith River in Patrick Co.

Wildlife Value: Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Provides shelter, nesting sites and birds will eat the seeds. Many insects feed off parts of the tree