SUGAR MAPLE or

ROCK MAPLE or

HARD MAPLE

SUGAR MAPLE or Rock Maple or Hard Maple (Acer saccharum)

Sugar maple is found abundantly throughout the state on moist, rocky slopes, but grows best on moist, upland soils.

In the forest it grows to 60-70 feet, and a diameter of 20-30 inches. The trunk is without branches for quite a distance. The top is short and spreading. In the open, the branches begin 8-10 feet up, forming an egg-shaped head when the tree is young, and a broad rounded top when older. It makes a nice street or ornamental tree -- as such, globe and columnar shapes are available at nurseries.

Bark on young trees and large branches is smooth or slightly fissured and pale. On old trees it is deeply furrowed and light gray, sometimes rather dark.

Leaves are opposite, 3-5 lobed, sparingly toothed, 3-5 inches long, dark green above, pale green below. Sides of the terminal lobe are parallel or divergent and notches between lobes are rounded. In autumn leaves turn various shades of red, scarlet, orange or yellow.

Flowers are pendulous, on long, slender, hairy stalks, in clusters, greenish yellow, and appear with the leaves.

Fruit is paired, has a baseball-shaped seed-body with wings about one inch long, slightly divergent. It ripens in the fall.

Wood is heavy, close-grained, strong, and hard. It is used for furniture, flooring, tool handles, veneer, railroad ties, bowling pins, novelties, dowels, woodenware, canoe paddles, pulp and charcoal. "Birds-eye" pattern wood is in high demand in the furniture industry.

Maple sugar and syrup are made largely from the sap of this tree, although sugar is present in the sap of all maples.