Canada; The sugar maple tree may grow to a height of 40 metres (130 feet). General Natural Range: Minnesota south to Arkansas. Similar to sugar maple but usually 3-lobed (sometimes five); often appears to be drooping; often with a thicker leaf and lear stem (petiole) than sugar maple; usually with two winglike or leaflike growths at the base of the petiole (stipules). Silver maple is a rapidly growing maple found throughout much of the eastern United States and extreme southeastern Canada, where it is often tapped (sometimes heavily) in a particular location (Figure 3.9). They should not be confused with the desirable maple species when performing management practices such as thinning or release cuts. Sugar Maple Tree Identification Sugar maple trees can grow to be 100 feet tall. It is not unusual to find many trees in a sugar bush well in excess of 3 percent, and occasionally higher. Facts About Sugar Maple Trees. Older trees developing furrows and ultimately long, irregular, thick vertical plates that appear to peal from the trunk in a vertical direction. Species. The term "buddy sap" is often applied to late season sap which produces syrup with a very disagreeable flavor and odor. Young trees up to 4-8 inches with a smooth light gray bark, developing into gray or black ridges and ultimately narrow scaly plates. Mountain maple is essentially a shrub. There are thirteen native maple species in North America (Table 3-1). Other Species Easily Confused With: Red maple, bigleaf maple, birches Flower: Light yellow-green, small, clustered, hanging from a long, slender (1 to 3 inch) stem, appearing with or slightly before … A somewhat shiny, brownish, slender, relatively smooth twig with. Its form and bark make this an attractive tree in the winter as well. Its rapid growth and ability to thrive on a wide variety of sites have resulted in its widespread planting as ornamental and street trees which are often tapped as part of a sugaring operation. Maple Tree Identification. Probably no other species of forest tree, certainly no hardwood, can thrive on a wider variety of soil types and sites. … While the exact sap sugar content of a tree will vary depending on many factors including genetics, site and weather, sugar and black maples generally average between 2.0 and 2.5 percent sap sugar content. Each of the largest three lobes has one to several sharp-pointed tips. Red Maple Tree Sugar maple trees can grow to be 100 feet tall. 130-150 years. 5-7 inches wide; deeply clefted; 5-lobed with the sides of the terminal lobe diverging toward the tip; light green upper surface and a silvery white underside; leaf margin with fine teeth (but not the inner edges of the sinuses). Sugar maple leaves are three to five inches wide and have five lobes with a round base. The Sugar Maple is botanically called Acer saccharum . Suffers from salt, drought, and air pollution. Two years after the introduction of the Newton Cemetery tree, Mr. Temple introduced another upright maple which he called Monumentale. The sugar maples are found in almost all places in the United States. Birches have pores wider than the rays. It is most easily identified by the opposite paired arrangement of its leaves and branches, its 3-lobed leaf with fine teeth on the margin, and striping on the branches and young trunks. The tree likes Sun to half-shade,brown leaf margins indicate a lack of water. Like all maples, the leaves, buds and twigs of all four are attached in pairs opposite each other along the branches. margin. Thinning or release cutting will substantially shorten the age-to-tapable-size. The Tree is a deciduous tree, it will be up to 40 m (131 ft) high. Uses: Veneer, lumber, furniture, cabinets, flooring, pulp The leaves are lobed and the flowers are yellow. It has a dense crown of leaves, which turn various shades of gold to scarlet in fall.Its three- to five-lobed leaves appear after the greenish yellow flowers of spring. The leaf edge will not have any serrated teeth. There is a moderately deep U-shaped notch between the lobes. Sugar Maple ( Acer saccharum) Lobes pointed, but leaf margins smooth (not serrated) between points, with U-shaped regions in larger spaces between lobe tips. Sugar maple occurs naturally throughout most of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada (Figure 3.6). The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a common tree in northeastern North America, prized for its wood, its brilliant fall foliage and its sap for maple syrup in the spring.Like the white ash, the sugar maple is … Maple Tree Identification. Identification Of Common North American Woods. The two most common maples are the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and the red maple (Acer rubrum). If you are thinking of planting sugar maple trees, you probably already know that sugar maple are among the best-loved trees on the continent. Other Common Names/Trade Names: Hard maple It is important to emphasize that good, high-quality maple syrup can be made from red maple sap. Because of its fast growth rate, however, mature trees can achieve diameters in excess of 3 feet and heights in excess of 100 feet. Similar to sugar maple but usually darker and more deeply grooved or furrowed. Sugar and black maple are very similar species and unquestionably the most preferred species for producing maple products, primarily because of their high sugar content. One exotic maple, Norway maple (Acer platanoides), is commonly planted as an ornamental and street tree and will attain tapable size. Sugar and black maple are particularly attractive as sugar trees because of their high sap sugar content and the late date at which they begin growth in the spring. Pests include borers and cottony maple scale. In other areas, red maple may be tapped along with sugar and black maples. East to the Appalachian Mountains. The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) (hard maple, rock maple) is one of our largest and finest forest trees, growing to a height of 80 feet with a diameter of two or more feet. Identifying a tree as a sugar or black maple (Table 3.2, Figure 3.2 & 3.3) is easily done from the leaves by observing 5-lobed leaves, the paired opposite attachment of the leaves along the stem and the lack of teeth along the leaf margin; from the bark of older trees by observing the long plates that remain attached on one side; from the twigs by observing the opposite arrangement of buds and the relatively long, pointed, brownish terminal bud; and from the seed by observing its horseshoe shape and size. Distinguishing between them may be more of an academic exercise than one useful in sugar bush management because (1) they are essentially identical in quality as sugar trees, and (2) they often hybridize producing trees with a range of characteristics, making it difficult to clearly distinguish between them. Healthy sugar and black maple trees growing in overstocked uneven-aged or even-aged stands can be expected to achieve tapable size in 40 to 60 years, depending on overall site quality. Sugar maple trees have dark green leaves that turn red, orange, or yellow in the fall. Silver and sugar maple are easy to tell apart by leaf, buds, and growth habit. The space between the five pointed lobes of sugar maple leaves is U-shaped with a rounded base. Both species are also found in stands composed of trees that are essentially all the same age (size). As maples begin their growth, chemical changes occur in the sap which make it unsuitable for syrup production. Mature leaves have a whitish appearingunderside. Winged seed approximately 1" long. It normally grows 80 to 110 feet in height, but 150-foot specimens have been known. However, for sugaring, red maple does have three important weaknesses. Although it develops best on moderately well-drained to well-drained, moist soils, it commonly grows in conditions ranging from dry ridges to swamps. Because sugar and black maple resume growth later than red or silver maple, sap may be collected later in the spring. Sugar Maples can be identified based on the following characteristics: The leaf edge will not have any serrated teeth. Photo © Yann Kemper, Public Domain. Other popular varieties of maple trees for gardens are the Amur Maple (Acer ginnala), Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), and the Hedge Maple tree (Acer campestre). The star of eastern North American fall foliage viewing and principle source of maple syrup. The leaves are bright green and the underside is light green. The sugar content is 2x that of other maple trees in sugar maples which means less boiling down. The fruits are paired samaras. Naturalists lead maple-sugaring tours showing how to identify sugar maples, tap trees, and collect sap at this Mass Audubon property. Red maple is one of the most abundant and widespread hardwood trees in North America (Figure 3.8). Similar to sugar maple but twig surface with small warty growths (lenticels, which are not raised much above the bark surface in sugar maple) and often more hairy buds. Common North American Maple Species . 2-6 inches wide; 3lobed (occasionally weakly 5-lobed); sharply V-shaped sinuses; small sharp teeth along. Sugar Maples & Insect Problems. Four states have picked this tree as their state tree – New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Vermont – and it is also the national tree of Canada. You will have to carry 2x as much sap from a regular maple as a sugar maple for the same amount of syrup. Slender, shiny, usually reddish in color; terminal buds. Narrow, scaly ridges: Norway maple, box elder and red maple share this feature. Unfortunately, the names of the two trees quickly became confused in the horticultural literature. Throughout much of the commercial maple region, however, most maple producers will not tap silver maple. Striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum) and mountain maple (Acer spicatum) are two other native maples that are found growing within the commercial maple range (Figures 3.10 and 3.11). Also the Red Maple has a bitter sap as compared to the Sugar Maple. North through all of New England, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the Canadian Maritimes. Introduction: Sugar maple, with its beautiful form and brilliant, multicolored display of fall color, is a popular shade tree in eastern North America.It is known for its quality wood and abundant sugar. Red Maple ( Acer rubrum) Buds conspicuous, plump, rounded, and red; side buds as large as terminal buds, and angled outward. Because of the wide variety of sites on which red maple will grow, it is found growing naturally in pure stands and with an enormous variety of other tree species ranging from gray birch and paper birch, to yellow poplar and black cherry, and including sugar and black maple. sugar maple Aceraceae Acer saccharum Marshall symbol: ACSA3 Leaf: Opposite, simple and palmately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, 5 delicately rounded lobes, entire margin; green above, paler below. Horseshoe-shaped double-winged fruit with parallel or slightly divergent wings. Similar to red maple but bruised or scraped bark has a very fetid or foul odor. The leaves of sugar maple trees are up to 8” (20 cm) long and wide. Wide, irregular strips: The sugar maple has dark grayish-brown bark with wide, vertical strips that curl outward at the edges. Sugar maple leaves will have a dark green color on the outside, and a lighter green on the underside. The 3 most popular type of maple trees are Maple Sugar, Red maple and Japanese Maple. To do this, begin by counting lobes of leaves. This week’s tree is easy to identify by its twig. The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a common tree in northeastern North America, prized for its wood, its brilliant fall foliage and its sap for maple syrup in the spring. Like the white ash, the sugar maple is one of the few trees with opposite leaf buds. Red maple is commonly tapped in certain geographic areas, particularly in the southern and western portions of the commercial maple range. The high sugar content of the Sugar Maple’s sap makes it ideal for tapping. Sugar and black maples are found on a variety of soils and site conditions, but neither tolerates excessively wet or dry sites, and both grow best on moist, deep, well-drained soils. Plantations of sugar maple have also been established with the intent of developing efficient, productive sugar bushes. Norway Maple is frequent in urban areas where it is planted as a street tree or invasive in vacant lots. Second, like red maple, it begins growth in the spring, earlier than sugar and black maple, resulting in a shorter collecting season. This is the geographic area of greatest abundance of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and black maple (Acer nigrum), the two most preferred and most commonly tapped maple species. North through all of New England, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the Canadian Maritimes. Sugar maple, (Acer saccharum), also called hard maple or rock maple, large tree in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), native to eastern North America and widely grown as an ornamental and shade tree. It is recognized by the opposite paired arrangements of its leaves and branches, its 7lobed leaf without marginal teeth, and its 11/2 to 2 inch long samara with divergent wings (Figure 3.12). Third, like red maple, the evaporation of sap from some silver maples produces an excessive amount of sugar sand. If these species occur in a sugarbush it is important to be able to identify them. Look closely at the color of the leaves. All have leaves of similar shape: a single leaf blade with the characteristic maple shape, 3-5 lobes radiating out like fingers from the palm of a hand (palmately lobed) with notches (called sinuses) between the lobes. Considerable red is seen in bark pattern as scales develop. Sugar and black maple both grow in the shade of other trees (they are shade tolerant), and trees of many different ages (sizes) are often found in a forest. Table 3-2 contains a descriptive comparison and Figures 3.2 through 3.5 illustrate characteristic leaves, bark, twigs, and fruits of sugar, black, red and silver maple. Based on the results of a study in a New Jersey natural area, there is concern that in forests managed for native vegetation, Norway Maple will reproduce more vigorously than the native Sugar Maple, and therefore, may out compete Sugar Maple … Other things being equal, higher sap sugar content translates to lower costs of production and greater profits. In the fall, sugar maple leaves will lose their green color and take on a beautiful orange, yellow, or red. Other Common Names/Trade Names: Hard maple Scientific Name: Acer saccharum Best Characteristics for Identification: Rays wider than pores. Sugar maple or Acer saccharum. Secondly, red maple begins growth in the spring before sugar and black maples, resulting in a shorter collecting season. Flower: Light yellow-green, small, clustered, hanging from a long, slender (1 to 3 inch) stem, appearing with or slightly before the leaves in early spring. Hard maple or sugar maple trees produce a high quality timber and yield maple syrup. Mature trees commonly average between 20 and 30 inches in diameter and 60 and 90 feet tall. Striped maple is a small slender tree which rarely attains tapable size. The commercial production of maple products in North America occurs primarily in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada (Figure 3.1). This is a blog about tree branches: what they look like, how they develop, how they differ between species, and how you can use them to identify trees in winter. From the perspective of producing maple syrup, red maple's most attractive characteristic is its ability to thrive on a wide variety of site conditions. Nevertheless, large silver maple street trees are numerous in many areas and these are sometimes tapped as part of a sugaring operation. Identical or Nearly Identical Species: Black maple Sugar maple trees have 5-lobed leaves (3 large lobes and 2 small lobes). Sugar and black maple have the highest sap sugar content of any of the native maples. Scientific Name:  Acer saccharum Also known as rock maple, sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a deciduous tree well known for its ability to produce sap from which maple syrup is derived. Black and sugar maples begin growth later in the spring than red or silver maple. Silver and sugar maple are easy to tell apart by leaf, buds, and growth habit. The way to tell Red Maple and Sugar Maple apart is by the bark. Learn how to identify sugar maple trees to make maple syrup. In some areas of the commercial maple range, red maple is the only maple present on many sites. Neither of these species is commonly tapped. Black maple, on the other hand, occupies a much smaller natural range (Figure 3.7). Other Common Names/Trade Names: Hard maple Scientific Name: Acer saccharum Best Characteristics for Identification: Rays wider than pores. Bigleaf or Acer macrophyllum. Four states have picked this tree as their state tree – New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Vermont – and it is also the national tree of Canada. Trees planted by colonial settlers survive to this day, often with large, gnarly trunks and deeply fissured bark. Norway Maple is frequent in urban areas where it is planted as a street tree or invasive in vacant lots. Sugar maple leaves are three to five inches wide and have five lobes with a round base. East to the Appalachian Mountains. Red maple's bark is normally dark brown, whereas box elder and Norway maple bark is more grayish. 3-5 inches wide; 5lobed (rarely 3-lobed); bright green upper surface and a paler green lower surface; leaf margin without fine teeth (compare with red and silver maple). If you are thinking of planting sugar maple trees, you probably already know that sugar maple are among the best-loved trees on the continent. 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