Acer saccharum is a stately shade tree with excellent autumn color. Sugar Maple is a common shade tree in the Eastern U.S., the national tree of Canada, and a climax forest tree in New England, where it is sometimes tapped for maple syrup. It is also prized for its high quality wood in furniture making.
Alternate common name: Rock Maple
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-large deciduous tree
-maturing at 60' tall x 40' wide in urban areas, but larger under more favorable conditions such as the northeastern forests of the U.S.
-upright oval growth habit in youth, becoming more upright rounded with age
-medium growth rate |
Foliage
-opposite arrangement, with medium green to dark green leaves
-the stereotypical Maple leaf foliage (as shown on the reverse of a Canadian coin)
-5-lobed, the basal 2 smaller than the upper 3, with each of the 3 upper lobes incised but not serrated
-palmate venation, with blades about 5" long and wide
-the leaves are often slightly curved downwards when viewed on a horizontal plane (contrasts with the flatter appearance of the Norway Maple)
-dense foliage on twigs
-autumn color yellow, orange, and/or red, sometimes undergoing this transition sequence during prolonged autumn coloration, usually striking due to the size of mature trees |
Flowers
-pendulous inflorescences in Apr. (before the foliage), yellow-green, waving in the breeze, and giving the tree a very fine-textured lime appearance in early spring |
Fruit
-2 samaras (each 1.5" long) per stalk, having parallel wings
-medium green, in pendulous clusters from the stems, maturing to brown in Oct. |
Twig
-brown-red and lenticeled, with small dark brown or gray buds in winter |
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Trunk
-light brown to light gray branches becoming brown, gray, or black trunks, fissuring in youth to yield large, irregular plates with age, sometimes with orange interiors
-larger plates on the trunk distinguish this species from the similar Norway Maple, whose bark is more furrowed than platy |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-full sun to full shade, but best in full sun
-prefers cool, moist summers in deep, well-drained, moist, slightly acidic soils
-not tolerant of extreme heat, drought, thin soils, or soil compaction
-prone to branch dieback (due to drought or Verticillium wilt) under stressful conditions
-abundantly available with many cultivars, usually in B&B form |
Hardiness
-zones 4 to 8
Origin
-native to Eastern U.S. and Southern Canada
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-dense summer shade
-brilliant autumn color that often has a sequence of different bright colors
-platy bark in old age
-wildlife attraction (squirrels and birds will eat samaras in winter)
-shade tolerant (in youth)
-symmetrical winter branching
Liabilities
-shallow root system surfaces with age
-leaf scorch, leaf tatter, and branch dieback in hot, dry summers
-prone to Verticillium wilt
-sometimes has frost cracks but not as severe as Norway Maple
-often a choice of sapsuckers but recovers from the winter bird wounding
-slow establishment in urban conditions
-not urban tolerant, especially to root disturbance, soil compaction, or soil backfill |
Function
-shade, specimen, or autumn accent tree (but not a good street tree, due to size, surface roots, and urban intolerance)
Texture
-medium texture in foliage and medium-fine when bare
-thick density in foliage and when bare |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-large shade trees (Betula nigra, Corylus colurna, Fraxinus americana, Quercus rubra, Zelkova, etc.)
-shade trees with excellent autumn color (Acer rubrum October Glory®, Betula lenta, Fraxinus pennsylvanica Cimmaron®, Nyssa sylvatica, Quercus coccinea, Ulmus parvifolia, etc.) |