A mature maple can drop a huge crop of winged seeds, and a few weeks later the lawn, the flower beds and the mulch can be full of tiny trees. The good news is that seedlings are at their weakest right after they sprout. Most can be dealt with by mowing or by pulling, as long as you act before the roots get established.

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The short answer: in the lawn, keep mowing at your normal height; extension experts say maple seedlings do not withstand repeated mowing from spring to early fall. In beds and mulch, pull them out by hand, roots and all, while they are small and the soil is wet. Raking up the seeds before they sprout cuts down the numbers. Spot-treat with a herbicide only where pulling is not practical, and follow the label exactly.

Why so many seedlings appear

Maples produce their seeds in winged pairs, called samaras or “helicopters”. The Morton Arboretum describes silver maple samaras as about 2 inches long and notes that silver maple can be weedy, spreading many seedlings in lawns and gardens. Norway maple, which the Arboretum lists as an invasive plant, also spreads by seed.

Some years bring a much heavier seed crop than others, so a yard that had a handful of seedlings last spring can have hundreds this year. Seeds that land on bare soil, loose mulch or thin lawn are the ones most likely to sprout.

Step 1: Rake up the seeds first

In an Ask Extension answer from Hennepin County, Minnesota, the first strategy recommended is to rake up as many of the helicopters as you can before they germinate. Every seed removed is one less seedling to pull later.

Rake or sweep seeds off patios, walks and driveways, where they collect in drifts.
Rake them out of beds and the top of mulch as they fall.
In the lawn, a mower with a bagger collects many seeds along with the clippings.

Step 2: Mow the lawn as usual

For seedlings in grass, the answer is simple. Two separate Ask Extension responses, from Minnesota and from Linn County, Iowa, say maple seedlings in the grass do not withstand mowing, and that repeated mowing from spring to early fall should destroy most of them.

Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County agrees. It says trees with relatively small seeds, such as elm and maple, can often be controlled with repeated mowing when they appear in a lawn. It contrasts this with trees that have large seeds, such as acorns, which keep regrowing even after repeated mowing.

So there is usually no need to spray a lawn for maple seedlings. Keep mowing on your regular schedule and most will disappear within a season.

Step 3: Pull seedlings in beds and mulch

Seedlings in flower beds, shrub borders, vegetable gardens and mulch rings need to be removed by hand. The Minnesota Ask Extension answer says that once germinated, maple seedlings are easy to pull, if a bit labor intensive, that catching them early makes them easier, and that you want to get the root and all.

Nebraska Extension adds practical tips:

Wait for wet soil. Pulling is easier after a few days of rain or a deep soaking.
Pull straight up. Grip the seedling and pull upward with even pressure. Seedlings often snap off at ground level if pulled from the side or yanked, and then regrow from the crown.
Act while they are small. The first strong root develops surprisingly fast. Seedlings less than a foot tall can often be hand pulled, but this varies with species and soil moisture.
Dig the bigger ones. Weedy trees that are too well rooted to pull can be removed with a shovel or a similar tool.

A layer of mulch in beds can help, according to the Minnesota answer, but it will not stop every seed. Seeds that land on top of the mulch can still sprout, so check mulched areas every week or two in late spring.

Step 4: Use herbicide only where pulling will not work

If seedlings are too numerous to pull, or are growing in gravel or along a fence where you cannot reach the roots, a herbicide is an option. Use it with care.

Spot spray only. The Minnesota answer mentions a non-selective herbicide such as glyphosate and warns to spray only the seedlings, because anything else it touches will also be killed.
Know what you are using. Nebraska Extension says glyphosate and triclopyr are commonly used on weedy trees. It describes glyphosate as non-selective, killing any plant including grass, and triclopyr as a selective herbicide that works well on woody plants and is found in clover, brush and poison ivy killer products.
Protect people and pets. The Linn County, Iowa answer recommends only EPA-registered products rather than home remedies, and suggests keeping pets away from the treated area while the spray dries.
Read the label. Follow the product label for dilution, timing and where it may be used. The label is the legal guide to using any pesticide.

Never spray a herbicide on or near the trunk or exposed roots of the parent maple or other trees you want to keep.

What about seedlings that have grown into saplings?

A seedling that was missed for a year or two can become a sapling with a woody stem and a strong root. Cutting it off at the ground often just leads to new sprouts from the stump.

Nebraska Extension describes two options for weedy trees that are too big to pull:

Method	Best for	How it works
Basal bark treatment	Small to medium trees with thin bark	Herbicide sprayed around the lower 12 to 15 inches of the trunk
Cut stump treatment	Trees too big to pull, typically 4 to 6 inches across	Tree cut down and herbicide applied to the fresh stump

For larger trees, or any tree near a house, power lines or a tree you want to keep, call a certified arborist.

How to prevent next year’s crop

Rake early and often when seeds start falling.
Keep the lawn thick. A dense lawn leaves less bare soil for seeds to sprout in.
Check beds weekly in spring and pull seedlings while they are tiny.
Think about what you plant. The Morton Arboretum notes silver maple’s weedy habit and lists Norway maple as invasive. If you are choosing a new tree, see how big maple trees get and how far from the house to plant a maple before you decide.

Can you keep a seedling instead?

You can, if it is in the right place. A maple seedling that comes up where a tree would fit can be left to grow, or moved while it is small. Remember that some maples become large trees, and silver maple in particular has weak wood and an aggressive root system, according to The Morton Arboretum. If you keep one, give it room and start good pruning early; see the best month to trim a maple.

Key takeaways

Rake up maple seeds before they sprout.
In lawns, regular mowing from spring to early fall usually kills maple seedlings.
In beds and mulch, pull seedlings straight up, root and all, while they are small and the soil is moist.
Use spot herbicide treatments only where pulling is impractical, and always follow the label.
Saplings may need a basal bark or cut stump treatment, or help from an arborist.

Sources

Maple tree seed weeds (question #324444), Ask Extension
Seedling maple trees (question #203965), Ask Extension
Woody Weeds – Controlling Volunteer Trees, Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County
Silver Maple, The Morton Arboretum
Norway Maple, The Morton Arboretum

Top photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to Get Rid of Maple Tree Seedlings