Sugar Maple

Common Name: Sugar Maple
Scientific Name Genus: Acer

Cultural Comments

Prefer a fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun to part shade. Not tolerant of road salt, soil compaction, or pollution.

Native Habitat

Zones 3-8, eastern North America

Growth Habit

Oval to rounded, 40-80' x 30-60'

Leaves

3-6" long & wide; 3-5 lobes; Narrow, deep sinuses; slightly toothed, medium green with paler green underside; Not as wide as A. platanoides; Fall color is yellow-orange (sometimes red) ; Sap from broken petiole clear (A. platanoides is milky)
Maple leaves

Bark and Stems

Bark on young trees is smooth gray-brown becoming deeply furrowed with age; long irregular rides or plates, sometimes scaled; bark can be highly variable; Hard, pointed, terminal bud, dark brown - gray

Flowers

greenish, before leaves, 1-3" long pendulous pedicels

Fruit

2-winged samara; 1-1 ¾" long; horseshoe shape; green maturing to brown

Varieties or Cultivars

'Goldspire'
'Green Mountain'
'Newton Sentry'

Landscape Uses

shade tree or specimen tree
maple tree