Acer saccharum
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- AY-ser sa-KAR-um
- Description
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Northern Sugar Maple is a deciduous tree that may grow 40 to 120 feet tall. The leaves are opposite with 3-5 palmate lobes and smooth margins. The bark of young trees is smooth becoming heavily scaled with age. Greenish-yellow flowers on long stalks mature in spring. During fall, brown, winged samaras mature.
Sugar maple is a fast-growing shade tree with striking fall color in the Sapindaceae family. It is a popular tree in the Eastern U.S. hardwood forest and is one of the trees which is most responsible for giving New England its reputation for spectacular fall color. It is a vigorous feeder and is very easy to grow. Medium to large deciduous tree 50-100'. This tree tolerates heavy shade and can be planted in a lawn. It is used as a tree where compaction and pollution are not a problem. Because of its slow growth rate, it makes strong wood that is resistant to storm damage.
Family name Sapindaceae (formerly Aceraceae)
Fire Risk: This plant has a low flammability rating.
Seasons of Interest:
Leaves: Fall Fruit/Seed/Nut: Fall
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. Is frequently used as a street tree, but does not tolerate soil compaction, pollution, or road salts well.
Quick ID Hints:
- Opposite, palmately lobed leaves
- Margin wavy
- Lobes 5, entire, pentagon outline
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Acer
- Species:
- saccharum
- Family:
- Sapindaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- These trees can be tapped to make maple syrup.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
- Distribution:
- Eastern North America
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- The seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals. The large diameter tree often contains hollows used by wildlife.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Buffer
- Pieces Used in Games
- Screening
- Shade
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Nesting
- Wind Break
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Storm damage. Fire. White-tailed deer browse twigs and leaves but this tree is moderately resistant to damage from deer.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 120 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Native Plant
- Tree
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Oval
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Coarse
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Usda Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Samara
- Fruit Description:
- Schizocarp with two samaras, large, wings nearly parallel.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Description:
- Insignificant blooms in April
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Leaves:
- Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are opposite, palmately compound, entire, wavy, 5-lobed, acuminate at vein apices, green concolorous, and glabrate below to few hairs in vein axils. Lateral lobes project further from midrib than basal lobes; thus, a leaf outline is a pentagon. The leaves are a good yellow-orange fall color and light/dark green for some of the year.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Brown
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Patchy
- Bark Description:
- Bark can have furrows where ontop the bark is dark brown and then below is lighter (nearly a reddish-brown to light brown). Bark color may be light brown, dark brown, or brown.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Scaly
- Stem Bud Scales:
- Enclosed in more than 2 scales
- Stem Description:
- Stems are slender. Stems and buds can be green, brown to reddish-brown. Buds are 1/4"-1/2", cone-shaped, acute, and have 4-8 pairs of lateral scales.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Dry Soil
- Fire
