Distinguishing between sugar and black maple is best done by comparing the leaf structure (particularly the number of lobes, droopiness and presence or absence of stipules along base of petiole) and by the degree of bumpiness of the twigs. Thinning or release cutting will substantially shorten the age-to-tapable-size. Once you have established you tree is part of the Acer family, you need … Species. It has a dense crown of leaves, which turn various shades of gold to scarlet in fall.Its three- to five-lobed leaves appear after the greenish yellow flowers of spring. Red Maple Tree Norway Maple is frequent in urban areas where it is planted as a street tree or invasive in vacant lots. The commercial production of maple products in North America occurs primarily in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada (Figure 3.1). It is not unusual to find many trees in a sugar bush well in excess of 3 percent, and occasionally higher. This lower sap sugar content translates to higher costs of production and lower profits. sugar maple Aceraceae Acer saccharum Marshall symbol: ACSA3 Leaf: Opposite, simple and palmately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, 5 delicately rounded lobes, entire margin; green above, paler below. Northeast United States & Southern Canada, Northeast United States & Southeast Canada, Southeast United States Coastal Plain & Piedmont. The star of eastern North American fall foliage viewing and principle source of maple syrup. Narrow, scaly ridges: Norway maple, box elder and red maple share this feature. Acer saccharum, the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae.It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada, from Nova Scotia west through southern Quebec, central and southern Ontario to southeastern Manitoba around Lake of the Woods, and northcentral and … It is recognized by the opposite paired arrangements of its leaves and branches, its 7lobed leaf without marginal teeth, and its 11/2 to 2 inch long samara with divergent wings (Figure 3.12). 5-7 inches wide; deeply clefted; 5-lobed with the sides of the terminal lobe diverging toward the tip; light green upper surface and a silvery white underside; leaf margin with fine teeth (but not the inner edges of the sinuses). Distinguishing between them may be more of an academic exercise than one useful in sugar bush management because (1) they are essentially identical in quality as sugar trees, and (2) they often hybridize producing trees with a range of characteristics, making it difficult to clearly distinguish between them. A somewhat shiny, brownish, slender, relatively smooth twig with. Wide, irregular strips: The sugar maple has dark grayish-brown bark with wide, vertical strips that curl outward at the edges. It is most easily identified by the opposite paired arrangement of its leaves and branches, its 3-lobed leaf with fine teeth on the margin, and striping on the branches and young trunks. Introduction: Sugar maple, with its beautiful form and brilliant, multicolored display of fall color, is a popular shade tree in eastern North America.It is known for its quality wood and abundant sugar. Sugar maple leaves are three to five inches wide and have five lobes with a round base. Because of its fast growth rate, however, mature trees can achieve diameters in excess of 3 feet and heights in excess of 100 feet. Other Common Names/Trade Names: Hard maple Scientific Name: Acer saccharum Best Characteristics for Identification: Rays wider than pores. Compared to sugar and black maple, red maple is a relatively short-lived tree, rarely living longer than 150 years. Common North American Maple Species . Second, like red maple, it begins growth in the spring, earlier than sugar and black maple, resulting in a shorter collecting season. In the fall, sugar maple leaves will lose their green color and take on a beautiful orange, yellow, or red. This is the geographic area of greatest abundance of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and black maple (Acer nigrum), the two most preferred and most commonly tapped maple species. The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a common tree in northeastern North America, prized for its wood, its brilliant fall foliage and its sap for maple syrup in the spring. Susceptible to leaf scorch, verticillium wilt, tar spot and anthracnose. The sap of Norway maple is not commonly used to produce maple syrup. There only slight overlap in habitat: silver maple usually grows closer to water and sugar maple on well-drained sites. The real difference is that the Red Maple has lighter and smoother bark then the Sugar Maple. Naturalists lead maple-sugaring tours showing how to identify sugar maples, tap trees, and collect sap at this Mass Audubon property. Thinning or release cutting dramatically reduces this age-to-tapable-size. Other things being equal, higher sap sugar content translates to lower costs of production and greater profits. Uses: Veneer, lumber, furniture, cabinets, flooring, pulp The tree produces a dense, round, compact crown when grown in the open and is used quite extensively as a shade or ornamental tree. Its rapid growth and ability to thrive on a wide variety of sites have resulted in its widespread planting as ornamental and street trees which are often tapped as part of a sugaring operation. One either taps red maple or they don't sugar. The leaves are lobed and the flowers are yellow. In other areas, red maple may be tapped along with sugar and black maples. Norway Maple is frequent in urban areas where it is planted as a street tree or invasive in vacant lots. Silvery gray on young trees breaking into long thin scaly plates that give the trunks of older trees a very shaggy appearance. Considerable red is seen in bark pattern as scales develop. General Natural Range: Minnesota south to Arkansas. Silver Maple vs Sugar Maple. This week’s tree is easy to identify by its twig. Healthy sugar and black maple trees growing in overstocked uneven-aged or even-aged stands can be expected to achieve tapable size in 40 to 60 years, depending on overall site quality. Means of Distinguishing Similar Species : Wood is typically lighter in color than red maple. Young trees up to 4-8 inches with smooth gray bark. Sugar sand can cause several problems during the production process. This is the geographic area of greatest abundance of sugar maple ( Acer saccharum) and black maple ( Acer nigrum ), … A stylized sugar maple leaf, which is Canada's … The space between the five pointed lobes of sugar maple leaves is U-shaped with a rounded base. Like all maples, the leaves, buds and twigs of all four are attached in pairs opposite each other along the branches. The two most common maples are the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and the red maple (Acer rubrum). Its form and bark make this an attractive tree in the winter as well. Plantations of sugar maple have also been established with the intent of developing efficient, productive sugar bushes. Identical or Nearly Identical Species: Black maple These four species share several characteristics in common. 3-5 inches wide; 5lobed (rarely 3-lobed); bright green upper surface and a paler green lower surface; leaf margin without fine teeth (compare with red and silver maple). Canada; The sugar maple tree may grow to a height of 40 metres (130 feet). The leaf edge will not have any serrated teeth. In addition, when the sap of some red maples is processed, an excessive amount of sugar sand is produced. The Tree is a deciduous tree, it will be up to 40 m (131 ft) high. Maple Tree Identification. Sugar and black maple are very similar species and unquestionably the most preferred species for producing maple products, primarily because of their high sugar content. Uses: Veneer, lumber, furniture, cabinets, flooring, pulp General Natural Range: Minnesota south to Arkansas. Does not do well in a restricted root zone situation; tolerates shade better than most maples; leaf scorch may develop with drought; moderate pollution … The high sugar content of the Sugar Maple’s sap makes it ideal for tapping. Sugar and black maple have the highest sap sugar content of any of the native maples. You might be well accustomed to maple syrup, that has an extensive use in making desserts. That really does not mean much because most of the hard boiling is driving off water the more concentrated the syrup is. Black and sugar maples begin growth later in the spring than red or silver maple. First, the sap sugar content of red maple will be less, on the average, than that of nearby comparable sugar or black maples, perhaps by 1/2 percent or more. Other Common Names/Trade Names: Hard maple Scientific Name: Acer saccharum Best Characteristics for Identification: Rays wider than pores. The leaves of the Sugar Maple usually have five squarish, shallow lobes. Identifying a tree as a red maple (Table 3.2, Figure 3.4) is done from the leaves by observing the 3 lobes (occasionally 5), the paired opposite arrangement of the leaves and the small teeth along the margin; from the bark of older trees by the presence of the scaly plates; from the twig by observing the paired opposite arrangement of the buds, the relatively short, blunt, rounded, red terminal bud and the lack of an offensive odor when the bark of the twig is bruised or scraped; and from the fruit by observing its severe V-shape and size. Red maple is one of the most abundant and widespread hardwood trees in North America (Figure 3.8). Each of the largest three lobes has one to several sharp-pointed tips. Sugar maple Leaf: 3 to 6" opposite, simple leaf with 3 to 5 lobes; excellent fall color - yellow, orange and red tones. Sugar maple leaves will have a dark green color on the outside, and a lighter green on the underside. To do this, begin by counting lobes of leaves. Suffers from salt, drought, and air pollution. The leaves are bright green and the underside is light green. Its use as an ornamental and street tree, at least in urban areas, has been discontinued in recent years because the wood of silver maple is very brittle and often breaks in severe wind, snow or ice storms. When compared to sugar, black and red maple, silver maple is a distinctly fourth choice for sugaring for several reasons. Neither of these species is commonly tapped. Sugar and black maples are found on a variety of soils and site conditions, but neither tolerates excessively wet or dry sites, and both grow best on moist, deep, well-drained soils. Acer saccharum identification sugar maple tree branches Woody plants Jerry Jenkins, White Creek, N.Y. It is important to emphasize that good, high-quality maple syrup can be made from red maple sap. Based on the results of a study in a New Jersey natural area, there is concern that in forests managed for native vegetation, Norway Maple will reproduce more vigorously than the native Sugar Maple, and therefore, may out compete Sugar Maple … Facts About Sugar Maple Trees. On young trees light gray to brown and somewhat smooth; on older trees gray to almost black with irregular plates or scales. Mountain maple is essentially a shrub. Identifying a tree as a sugar or black maple (Table 3.2, Figure 3.2 & 3.3) is easily done from the leaves by observing 5-lobed leaves, the paired opposite attachment of the leaves along the stem and the lack of teeth along the leaf margin; from the bark of older trees by observing the long plates that remain attached on one side; from the twigs by observing the opposite arrangement of buds and the relatively long, pointed, brownish terminal bud; and from the seed by observing its horseshoe shape and size. Genetic research on sugar maple suggests that the sap sugar content of planted seedlings can be increased by controlled breeding. Sugar Maple ( Acer saccharum) Lobes pointed, but leaf margins smooth (not serrated) between points, with U-shaped regions in larger spaces between lobe tips. This is a blog about tree branches: what they look like, how they develop, how they differ between species, and how you can use them to identify trees in winter. East to the Appalachian Mountains. Sugar maple is an emblematic and common tree of the New England landscape, widely planted along roadsides and sugar bushes in order to harvest its maple syrup. 130-150 years. The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a common tree in northeastern North America, prized for its wood, its brilliant fall foliage and its sap for maple syrup in the spring.Like the white ash, the sugar maple is … … Maple sugar, red maple have typically 5 lobes and Japanese maple between 5 to 7 lobes. One exotic maple, Norway maple (Acer platanoides), is commonly planted as an ornamental and street tree and will attain tapable size. Look closely at the color of the leaves. Similar to sugar maple but usually 3-lobed (sometimes five); often appears to be drooping; often with a thicker leaf and lear stem (petiole) than sugar maple; usually with two winglike or leaflike growths at the base of the petiole (stipules). Fruits mature in fall. Sugar maple trees have 5-lobed leaves (3 large lobes and 2 small lobes). Four states have picked this tree as their state tree – New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Vermont – and it is also the national tree of Canada. Slender, shiny, usually reddish in color; terminal buds. Other popular varieties of maple trees for gardens are the Amur Maple (Acer ginnala), Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), and the Hedge Maple tree (Acer campestre). Silver maple is among the fastest growing hardwood species commonly planted in eastern North America, certainly the fastest growing maple. Hard maple or sugar maple trees produce a high quality timber and yield maple syrup. Four states have picked this tree as their state tree – New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Vermont – and it is also the national tree of Canada. Also the Red Maple has a bitter sap as compared to the Sugar Maple. However, for sugaring, red maple does have three important weaknesses. East to the Appalachian Mountains. Sugar maple, (Acer saccharum), also called hard maple or rock maple, large tree in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), native to eastern North America and widely grown as an ornamental and shade tree. Identification Of Common North American Woods. Silver maple's growth rate often responds dramatically to thinning or release cutting. Trees planted by colonial settlers survive to this day, often with large, gnarly trunks and deeply fissured bark. On good sites with little competition from other trees, silver maple diameter growth may approach 1/2 inch per year (rates as high as 1 inch per year have been recorded). North through all of New England, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the Canadian Maritimes. It is most easily identified by the opposite paired arrangement of its leaves and branches and its 3lobed leaf with coarse teeth. A fourth maple species, silver maple (Acer saccharinum), is sometimes tapped, particularly in roadside operations, and is often confused with red maple. All have leaves of similar shape: a single leaf blade with the characteristic maple shape, 3-5 lobes radiating out like fingers from the palm of a hand (palmately lobed) with notches (called sinuses) between the lobes. Like the white ash, the sugar maple is one of the few trees with opposite leaf buds. Silver and sugar maple are easy to tell apart by leaf, buds, and growth habit. North through all of New England, southern Quebec and Ontario, and the Canadian Maritimes. Identifying a silver maple (Table 3.2, Figure 3.5) is done from the leaves by observing the 5 lobes with the sides of the terminal lobe diverging toward the tip, the paired opposite arrangement of the leaves, the presence of fine teeth along the margin but not on the inner sides of the sinuses and the silvery white underside; from the bark of older trees by the trunk's shaggy appearance; from the twigs by observing the paired opposite arrangement of the buds, the relatively short blunt, rounded, red terminal bud and the presence of a fetid or foul odor when the twig is bruised or scraped; and from the fruit by observing its V-shape and size. margin. Throughout much of the commercial maple region, however, most maple producers will not tap silver maple. In some areas of the commercial maple range, red maple is the only maple present on many sites. Sugar Maples & Insect Problems. Pests include borers and cottony maple scale. Bigleaf or Acer macrophyllum. Red Maple ( Acer rubrum) Buds conspicuous, plump, rounded, and red; side buds as large as terminal buds, and angled outward. Learn how to identify sugar maple trees to make maple syrup. Birches have pores wider than the rays. Like sugar and black maple, red maple is shade tolerant and is found in both even-aged and uneven-aged forests. Acer saccharum identification sugar maple tree branches Woody plants Jerry Jenkins, White Creek, N.Y. Similar to sugar maple but usually darker and more deeply grooved or furrowed. Sugar Maple Tree. If you are thinking of planting sugar maple trees, you probably already know that sugar maple are among the best-loved trees on the continent. Sugar sand or niter is the salt that precipitates during the evaporation process. While most of these species are probably tapped to some extent, at least by hobbyists, sugar and black maple, along with red maple (Acer rubrum), provide most of the commercial sap. 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