Maple of Acer Negundo, h of cm 60-90

The box elder, or box elder ( lat.acer negúndo) — deciduous tree , type of the sort Maple of Family Maple (on other system of classification — families Soapberry family ), is from North America . (According to Grossgeym (1936) box elder — Acer negundo belongs to relicts of ancient Mediterranean flora of the Girkansky floristic center, and now presented on the Caucasus by the maloaziysko-Mediterranean group of types).

It is purposely introduced into Europe in the 17th century . In Russia ( St. Petersburg , the Imperial Botanical garden , also Moscow ) grows since 1796 . In the 19th century it was succeeded to part box elder from the seeds received from Canada . In the 1920th years its subsequent reproduction under natural conditions began to be observed.

Now in Russia box elder — the dangerous invasive look naturalized introduced species. It is eurysynusic, left parks and was implemented into native plant cover. Poses threat to biological diversity. One of the most aggressive wood weeds in forest zone of Eurasia .

Other names which are found in Russian-speaking literature — "the Californian maple", "maple negundo". Often mistakenly is called as "ash-tree".