Acer saccharum

Northern Sugar Maple is a deciduous tree that is native to Eastern and central North America. Primarily found in the mountains of North Carolina, it prefers to grow in cove forests and other rich forests, especially over mafic and calcareous rocks. It is also commonly found in dry-mesic forests and dry woodlands, less typically extending to high elevation northern hardwood forests where sometimes in acidic situations. It can be sporadically found throughout the Piedmont as it was introduced to the region as an ornamental plant. 

It may reach 50 to 120 feet tall with a dense spreading crown and grows at a slow to medium rate. The leaves have 5 lobes and coarsely toothed edges and turn brilliant shades of red, orange or yellow in the fall. In spring drooping racemes of yellow flowers are followed by winged samaras that are clustered on long reddish stalks in summer. It is the only tree commercially used today for syrup production. The sap is collected in the spring and is concentrated by either boiling it or by reverse osmosis. 35-40 litres of sap make 1 litre of syrup. A single tree can produce 5-60 litres of sap per year. For best sap flow, this tree should be planted in areas where nights are below freezing and and days are higher than 5 degrees Celsius (~41 degrees Fahrenheit). 

Northern Sugar Maple grows best in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic, fertile soil in full sun but will tolerate average well-drained soils in sun to part shade. It is intolerant of compacted soil, high heat, air pollution, and road salt commonly found in urban environments. It is best used as a shade tree in lawns or park type settings.

Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems.  Aphids, borers, and scale may be present.  Verticillium wilt, anthracnose, cankers, leaf spot, and tar spot can affect unhealthy trees.  Leaf scorch may occur in drought conditions.  It can have brittle wood. Roots can crack sidewalks and clog drains and septic systems. Sensitive to heat, drought, and soil compaction.