Natural History

Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum, Maple family (Aceraceae)

Leaves:
Leaves are palmately veined and lobed. Each leaf has five wide-lobed notches. Basal lobes are small. Upper lobes are larger and deeply notched. Leaves are bright green on top and paler on the bottom. During autumn, leaves turn bright yellow, orange, and red.

Bark:
Bark is smooth, gray to pale tan when young; becomes dark gray and shaggy as the tree ages.

Flowers:
Flowers are yellow-green in color, no petals. Each flower hangs on a long threadlike slender stalk. Flowering occurs in early spring before tree produces leaves. Male and female flowers are separate but on same tree (monoecious).

Fruit:
Fruit has two winged seeds. Seed shape allows it to float and spin to the ground like a helicopter. Fruits mature in autumn and are wind- dispersed.

Other Notes :

• Sugar maple is best known for its delicious maple syrup and maple sugar.
• Sugar Maples are susceptible to damage from air and water-borne pollutants.
• Acid rain and soil acidification are some of the primary contributing factors to decline of Sugar Maples.
• Sugar Maple is the state tree of New York, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
• Since 1965, the Sugar Maple leaf has been the centerpiece of the national flag of Canada. The maple tree was officially proclaimed the national arboreal emblem of Canada on April 25, 1996.

Sugar Maple fruit.
(photo source #11)