North America’s most widely-distributed maple species is Acer negundo. The range of the species extends from central Canada to Mexico and Guatemala.
As is sometimes the case with broad-ranging species, a number of common names are used: in Canada, Manitoba maple is most prevalent; in the USA, it is known as box elder. Other names include ashleaf maple, elf maple, river maple, and cut-leaf maple. River maple hints at its association with riparian habitats. It is also found in floodplains and other disturbed habitats associated with water courses. The plant in today’s photographs grows in an area of eastern Zion National Park that has occasional significant water flow–perhaps not quite flash flood level, but enough to scour the gravel- and sand-filled channels nearby and reduce plant establishment.
Having both the properties of broad-ranging and a preference for disturbed habitats can lead to inferences that Manitoba maple may be a potential invasive species. Not only has Acer negundo become an invasive or pest species in central Europe, Australia and eastern China, but it is also sometimes considered invasive outside its historic native range in North America. Though a number of cultivars have been selected, it is often unpopular in cultivation due to being short-lived, weak-branched, suckering, and messy (among other negatives). This circles back to common names; trash maple is sometimes derogatorily used.
The Wikipedia article on Acer negundo provides reasons ranging from wildlife use to human art as to why Manitoba maple is indeed valuable. One example to consider is that the earliest-recorded North American wooden flutes were crafted from Manitoba maple: Anasazi Flutes from the Broken Flute Cave.