#TYPES OF SUGAR MAPLE TREE FULL#

The fruit is a pair of samaras (winged seeds). The sugar maple will generally begin flowering when it is between 10 and 200 years old. The flowers are in panicles of five to ten together, yellow-green and without petals flowering occurs in early spring after 30–55 growing degree days. The recent year's growth twigs are green, and turn dark brown. The leaf buds are pointy and brown-colored.

They also share a tendency with red maples for certain parts of a mature tree to change color weeks ahead of or behind the remainder of the tree. In some trees, all colors above can be seen at the same time. Sugar maples also have a tendency to color unevenly in fall. The fall color is often spectacular, ranging from bright yellow on some trees through orange to fluorescent red-orange on others. In contrast with the angular notching of the silver maple, however, the notches tend to be rounded at their interior. The basal lobes are relatively small, while the upper lobes are larger and deeply notched. The leaves are deciduous, up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long and wide, palmate, with five lobes and borne in opposite pairs. As with most trees, forest-grown sugar maples form a much taller trunk and narrower canopy than open-growth ones. A 10-year-old tree is typically about 5 m (20 ft) tall. Description Bark Seasonal leaf color changeĪcer saccharum is a deciduous tree normally reaching heights of 25–35 m (80–115 ft), and exceptionally up to 45 m (150 ft). It may also be called 'rock maple,' 'sugar tree,' 'sweet maple,' or, particularly in reference to the wood, 'hard maple,' ' birds-eye maple,' or 'curly maple,' the last two being specially figured lumber. Sugar maple is best known for being the primary source of maple syrup and for its brightly colored fall foliage. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Saccharodendron saccharum (Marshall) MoldenkeĪcer saccharum, the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae.Be sure you have sufficient room to grow one of these beauties before planting sugar maple trees – they grow to 74 feet (22.5 m.) tall and 50 feet (15 m.) wide. A sugar maple tree growing in too small a space will only create heartache. Although they are fairly drought tolerant, they do best with soil that is constantly moist but never wet. When you are caring for sugar maple trees, irrigate them during dry weather. Expect your trees to grow from one foot to two feet (30.5-61 cm.) each year. Once you have finished planting sugar maple trees, they will grow at a slow to medium rate. The soil should be acidic to slightly alkaline.

A sugar maple tree growing in deep, well-drained soil is the happiest. The tree will also grow in partial sun, with at least four hours of direct, unfiltered sun every day.

#TYPES OF SUGAR MAPLE TREE FULL#

If you are planting sugar maple trees, select a site in full sun for the best results. About that same time, the tree puts on a fantastic fall show, its leaves turning to bright shades of orange and red. They flower in April and May, producing the “helicopter” winged seeds that mature in autumn. The small, green flowers grow in groups hanging downward on slender stems. The leaves are dark green with five distinct lobes. The dense crown grows in an oval shape and offers ample shade in the summer. But sugar maples are lovely trees in and of themselves. Well before colonists began sugar maple tree growing in this country, Native Americans tapped the trees for their sweet syrup and used the sugar made from it for bartering. Sugar maple tree facts provide lots of interesting information about this remarkable tree.

Types of sugar maple tree