Sugar Maple
Scientific Name: Acer saccharum
— pronounced AY-ser sa-KAR-um
— Acer, Latin for maple tree; from Latin adjective acer meaning sharp, keen, piercing — perhaps used for the maple tree because of its pointed leaves
— saccharum, Medieval Latin meaning sugar; from Latin saccharon, sugar
Soapberry Family (Sapindaceae), which includes horse chestnut and many tropical species
Other Common Names: Hard Maple, Rock Maple
You may know the Sugar Maple leaf from seeing it on the Canadian flag!
— pronounced AY-ser sa-KAR-um
— Acer, Latin for maple tree; from Latin adjective acer meaning sharp, keen, piercing — perhaps used for the maple tree because of its pointed leaves
— saccharum, Medieval Latin meaning sugar; from Latin saccharon, sugar
Soapberry Family (Sapindaceae), which includes horse chestnut and many tropical species
Other Common Names: Hard Maple, Rock Maple
You may know the Sugar Maple leaf from seeing it on the Canadian flag!
Leaf photo by Katy Chayka, bark by Peter Dzuik
In real life, the leaf is 3 to 6 inches long and varies somewhat in shape. It has five lobes with smooth edges, it’s green above and pale below, and its veins originate from a central point at the base of the leaf.
The bark is light grey to grayish brown. As the tree ages, the bark develops furrows, with long, thick, irregular ridges that curl outwards on the edges.
In real life, the leaf is 3 to 6 inches long and varies somewhat in shape. It has five lobes with smooth edges, it’s green above and pale below, and its veins originate from a central point at the base of the leaf.
The bark is light grey to grayish brown. As the tree ages, the bark develops furrows, with long, thick, irregular ridges that curl outwards on the edges.
Bark Photos by David Rosher
The flowers are small and light greenish yellow, in hanging clusters of 8 to 14 flowers that bloom close to the time the leaves emerge. They’re wind pollinated.
The fruit is a double or paired samara (a dry fruit whose wall extends into a wing-like shape), about 1 inch long, in dangling clusters. The fruits ripen and turn brown in autumn and are dispersed by wind.
The flowers are small and light greenish yellow, in hanging clusters of 8 to 14 flowers that bloom close to the time the leaves emerge. They’re wind pollinated.
The fruit is a double or paired samara (a dry fruit whose wall extends into a wing-like shape), about 1 inch long, in dangling clusters. The fruits ripen and turn brown in autumn and are dispersed by wind.
Photos: flowers, fruit, both by Peter Dziuk
Photos and more ID help: VA Tech Dendrology, Minnesota Wildflowers
Sugar Maple grows on sands, loamy sands, sandy loams, loams, and silt loams, but it does best on well-drained loams. It is commonly found in forests with fairly moist soils, occurring on wooded bluffs and hills, north-facing wooded slopes, wooded areas in protected coves and river valleys, lower slopes or bottoms of rocky ravines and canyons, and edges of limestone glades.
Sugar Maples are found scattered throughout the Preserve. (There are some fine specimens near the Ridge Trail bench.)
Interesting facts:
Photos and more ID help: VA Tech Dendrology, Minnesota Wildflowers
Sugar Maple grows on sands, loamy sands, sandy loams, loams, and silt loams, but it does best on well-drained loams. It is commonly found in forests with fairly moist soils, occurring on wooded bluffs and hills, north-facing wooded slopes, wooded areas in protected coves and river valleys, lower slopes or bottoms of rocky ravines and canyons, and edges of limestone glades.
Sugar Maples are found scattered throughout the Preserve. (There are some fine specimens near the Ridge Trail bench.)
Interesting facts:
- The Sugar Maple is slow-growing and may live 300-400 years. It can attain 80 to 120 feet in height and up to 3 feet in diameter.
- Sugar maples are deeper-rooted than most maples and engage in hydraulic lift, drawing water from lower soil layers and exuding that water into upper, drier soil layers. This benefits not only the tree itself, but also many plants growing around it.
- Birds and small mammals eat the Sugar Maple’s seeds; rabbits, deer and squirrels browse the twigs; and sapsuckers ring the tree with holes and return to feed on the sap and on the insects it attracts.
- Some Sugar Maple trees produce both male and female flowers, while others produce only male or only female.