Boxelder Food Uses

Maple syrup can be made from the sap of boxelders as with most Acer species. Trees are tapped in the early spring by boring 1 to a few holes (5-8 cm deep) about 1 m above the ground. The sap is collected in glass, plastic or metal containers and boiled down to produce syrup or sugar.

Sugar bush
Maple sugaring from Iowa State University

Hypsizygus ulmarius is a mushroom that grows on Boxelder, emerging from wounds in the bark during rainy periods. This mushroom, fried, is a favorite dish of the Dakota People of the upper Midwest. Warning - collecting and eating wild mushrooms is dangerous and should not be attempted without absolute certainty of identification.

Photo courtesy of Ronald Meyers, Kaw Valley Mycological Society