Acer negundo L.
Synonyms: = Negundo aceroides, N. negundo, N. interius, Rulac negundo
Common names: Boxelder, ashleaf maple, three-leaf maple, red river maple,
fresno de guajuco
Apache: tciłntsei – “large ash?” (Castetter and Opler 1936:61)
Dakota: tashkadan (Gilmore 1977:49)
Teton Dakota: chan-shushka (Gilmore 1977:49)
Hocąk: nąhošge – “tree grows fast” (Kidscher and Hurlburt 1998:368)
Kiowa: kaw-señ-añ-daw (Vestal aand Schultes 1939:40)
Meskwaki: mämänenatähonitōtomic (Smith 1928:200)
Omaha-Ponca: zhaba-ta-zhon – “beaver wood” (Gilmore 1977:49)
Winnebago: nahosh, Pawnee: ósako (Gilmore 1977:49)
Gosiute: gu’-su-wup (Chamberlin 1911:375)
Navajo: sool (Elmore 1944:62)
Ojibwe: adjagobi’mûk (Smith 1932:353,394)
Tewa: te’jidi (Robbins et al. 1916:38)
Location in Texas: E, C, & SE TX; very common in Travis Co.
Form: tree; up to 50 ft. tall; perennial.
Food
Inner bark – sections of bark were removed by the Chiricahua and Mescalero Apache and the layer of inner bark was scraped off, boiled, and reduced to extract its sugars (Castetter and Opler 1936:44). These scrapings were dried and stored for winter (Castetter and Opler 1936:44).
Sap – tapped like a maple tree and boiled to form a sugar by the Kiowa (Vestal and Schultes 1939:40), Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago, Pawnee (Gilmore 1977:49), and Northern Cheyenne (Hart 1981:13). The sap was drunk as a beverage by the Ojibwe (Smith 1932:394). The sap was drained into a pouch formed from a young deer stomach turned inside-out (Hart 1981:13). Once full, the pouch was tied shut and hung up to store (Hart 1981:13). Scrapings of the insides of hides (for collagen / gelatin) were added to the boiling syrup to make a candy (Hart 1981:13). The sap was added to tea by The Northern Cheyenne to sweeten it (Hart 1981:34).
GS – sap: early spring (Hart 1981:13).
Medicine
Inner bark – used as an emetic by the Kiowa (Vestal and Schultes 1939:40), Meskwaki (Smith 1928:200) and Ojibwe (Smith 1932:353). It was drunk as a decoction (Vestal and Schultes 1939:40, Smith 1928:200) or infusion (Smith 1932:353).
Sap – resin from stems and larger branches was used by the Tewa to treat cuts (Robbins et al. 1916:38).
Material
Stems – twigs were used by the Tewa as pipe stems (Robbins et al. 1916:38). The inner pith of boxelder twigs is very soft, and can be easily pushed or burned out to make a hollow tube.
Wood – used as fuel for the altar fire of the Kiowa peyote ceremony (Vestal and Schultes 1939:40). Wooden tubes used for furnace bellows in Navajo silversmithing were made of hollowed-out boxelder wood (Elmore 1944:62). It was the preferred wood of the Northern Cheyenne for cooking meat (Hart 1981:13), for coals in burning incense, and to light pipes (Bernier 2004:39). The wood burls or knots were used by the Northern Cheyenne to make bowls (Hart 1981:13). Its charcoal was used for ceremonial body paint or for tattoo ink by the Kiowa (Vestal and Schultes 1939:41), Dakota, Omaha, Ponca, Winnebago, and Pawnee (Gilmore 1977:49).
Identification
Notes – the foliage of this tree looks very similar to that of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). The latter is a vine or small shrub and never a sapling or large tree as is Acer negundo. Boxelder has opposite branching, while poison ivy has alternate branching.
The green shoots and twigs can be characteristic of boxelder, but not all individual trees or individual shoots exhibit these.
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