Oswego is a maple town
The Village's 2024 tree inventory counted 19,457 Village-owned trees across 106 species, and maples made up 42% of them. The new urban forestry plan aims to reduce over-represented species, add under-represented ones, and grow the tree canopy from 9.41% to 15% by 2044 (Shaw Local). In plain terms: there's a lot of maple, and the Village wants more variety.
Which maple do you have?
Norway maple
Leaves with five pointed lobes, a little broader than sugar maple's, dark green in summer. Tight, ridged gray bark. Seeds with wings spread wide apart. 40 to 50 feet tall (Morton Arboretum).
Silver maple
Five-lobed leaves with a silvery underside. Older bark peels in long strips that curl up at the ends. Seeds about 2 inches long. Grows fast to 50 to 70 feet (Morton Arboretum).
Norway maple: the invasive one
The Morton Arboretum classifies Norway maple as invasive. It's native to Europe and Asia, spreads heavily by seed, can shade out native wildflowers and outcompete native trees and shrubs, and is invasive on the Arboretum's own grounds (Morton Arboretum). It's a sturdy, adaptable tree, tolerant of drought, clay and road salt (same page), so a healthy one in your yard isn't an emergency. But it's a poor choice to plant new, and its seedlings are worth pulling.
Silver maple: the breakable one
The Arboretum calls silver maple overplanted, weak-wooded and prone to storm damage. Without proper, frequent pruning, wind and ice can break limbs; its roots can invade sewer pipes; and many authorities recommend against planting it (Morton Arboretum). It does love wet ground: Extension lists it as tolerant of long-saturated soil (U of I Extension), which is why you'll see big ones near the Fox River and Waubonsee Creek.
Gentle care tips
- Prune silver maple in summer. The Arboretum says that avoids the sap "bleeding" of dormant or spring cuts (Morton Arboretum).
- Keep it regular. Small, frequent, proper cuts beat one big hack. Topping leaves weak regrowth. See tree trimming in Oswego.
- Water in drought. Silver maple is only moderately drought-tolerant (same page).
- Watch the wires. Don't prune near lines yourself; ComEd says leave it to trained pros (ComEd). Our ComEd guide covers the free service-wire drop.
When removal makes sense
General signs worth an arborist's look, not a diagnosis: big dead limbs over the house or drive, cracks where major stems join, a soft or hollow base, roots in the sewer line, or limbs that fail in ordinary storms. If that's your tree, see tree removal in Oswego. If it's in the parkway, it's the Village's tree; call Public Works at 630-554-3242 (Village of Oswego).
Thinking about what to plant next? Our oak care guide is a good place to start.
Where this came from
Every page below was opened and read on Nov. 4, 2026. Programs change, so check the Village or Township before you plan around a date.
- Shaw Local (Kendall County Now), July 11, 2024: Oswego looks to increase diversity of tree population
- The Morton Arboretum: Norway maple
- The Morton Arboretum: Silver maple
- University of Illinois Extension: Dealing with waterlogged soils and plants (2017)
- Village of Oswego: Tree Pruning & Replacement
- ComEd: Trees & power lines FAQs