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Acer saccharum

It's a sugar maple!

Temperature is VERY important for sugar maples. These maples will only germinate in temps just above freezing- above 50 F is too warm! Periods of freezing and thawing are also essential for sap production, learn about that here from the Michigan Maple Syrup Association.

Sugar maple is one of the main maples used for production. Sap collection goes way back to Native Americans, before the pilgrims. Here’s one view on what that process may have looked like.

In the Eastern US and Canada sugar maples are a main part of hardwood forests. Going south, they are found in ravines and moist flatlands. Moist, cool, and flat is ideal! Go here for info about range/climate.

Sugar maple has close relatives that were (are??) considered varieties or subspecies of A. saccharum, inc. black, chalk, and Florida, and Mexican maples. There might be even more undescribed species lurking within A. saccharum: See A. saccharum var. schneckii! See them here:

Florida maple Chalk maple
Mexican maple Black maple

Keep on the lookout, sugar maple (right) is often confused with the non-native Norway maple (Acer platanoides)(left)! Go here to learn how you can distinguish the two.

Norway maple Sugar maple

 

 

 
Sugar maple specimenAn Acer saccharum specimen from the Michigan State University Herbarium's collection. One of the specimen's used to create Page 2 of Michigan Trees.
Maple tree tappingSap collection from Acer saccharum.
Native american woman collecting sapNative American woman preparing birch bark containers for sap collection.
Distribution mapA distribution map of Acer saccharum across the United States via GBIF