• Silver maple trees cannot tolerate soil with low iron availability.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The silver maple tree is a widely used maple tree species found throughout the central region of the United States. A medium-large shade tree, it grows well in areas of full sun and partial shade. It got its name from its light green leaves that bear whitish-silvery lines on their backside. Although the tree thrives in most soil conditions, a silver maple tree that suffers from iron deficiency shows signs of leaf burning initially in its leaves, which change color and appear burned.
  
  

Foliage Color Change

• Interveinal chlorosis (color change) occurs when a silver maple tree is unable to draw enough iron from the soil in order to grow and develop. The condition causes the tree's leaves to change from green to yellow and sometimes to white -- an early symptom of nutrient deficiency. Persistent iron deficiency causes a tree's leaves to brown at their edges and look burned. Leaf veins also darken as its cells break down and ultimately die, states Utah State University Cooperative Extension.
  
  

Limb Decay

• Even though silver maple trees are prone to iron deficiency, symptoms may only affect a single branch or localized branch group and cause limbs to deteriorate and die. Only when symptoms go unnoticed and adjustments are not made to boost soil nutrient levels, can the condition impact the entire tree. Utah State University Cooperative Extension recommends avoiding planting silver maple trees in soil with a high pH level of 7.0 or greater and that contain lime, since this soil type often has lower iron content.
  
  

Reduced Tree Size

• Although one of the first symptoms of a silver maple tree with iron deficiency is yellow, scorched leaves, the leaves are indicative of more problematic symptoms to come. Yellow leaves indicate the tree is not receiving enough chlorophyll, which it needs to produce sugar in a process called photosynthesis. A tree that is unable to produce a sufficient amount of sugar is unable to grow and develop normally. For this reason, a silver maple tree with iron deficiency is often smaller than a healthy tree and never reaches full maturity.