Silver maples are very popular landscape trees with the public in eastern North America. Why? Well, the fast-growing nature of silver maples is their main selling point. But as is so often the case, popularity with the public is one thing, while popularity with professionals is quite another. As Steve Nix points out, the latter do not, in fact, recommend silver maples as landscape trees, citing their "brittle and breaking limbs, a lack of ornamental beauty and an aggressive root system that clogs drains and buckles sidewalks." Read this article on silver maples from About's Forestry Guide to learn more.