Boxelder, a member of the maple family, is the most widely distributed of all maples, with a fairly continuous range in the United States and Canada, and it is common in almost every county in West Virginia. It grows to 59-69 feet tall and is one of the most common bottomland trees, found on wet, heavy soils in disturbed areas and river bottoms, where it can tolerate seasonal flooding lasting up to 30 days. It produces non-showy greenish-yellow flowers between March and May, with or just before the leaves, and these flowers are pollinated by both wind and bee visitation. Winged fruits emerge between August and October, and its prolific seeding habit makes it useful for erosion control, while its seeds are an important food source for wildlife such as deer and birds. The tree is susceptible to borers and occasional diseases such as powdery mildew and canker. It is a native, non-invasive species, though its seedlings and young branches can be mistaken for poison ivy because they have 3-5 leaflets rather than just three. Native American tribes boiled down its sap for syrup and candy, and its high-sugar sap can be made into a syrup called mountain molasses. New branches were used to make ceremonial painting charcoal, and tea from the inner bark was used to induce vomiting. Because boxelder wood is light, soft, and weak, it has low commercial value, but it has been mixed with other bottomland species for pulp and rough lumber, used in interior finishing, and made into crates, boxes, and low-quality furniture.