“Acer saccharum is a tree which can reach 30 meters in height at maturity…”– Summary
Full plant, Acer saccharum (St. John, 2014)
Since being first described by Marshall in 1785, different varieties and subspecies have been described, but the binomial has not changed since its description. However, Acer saccharum was considered part of the Aceraceae plant family. Phylogenetic analysis determined that Aceraceae was actually a part of Sapindaceae, which is now the family Acer belongs to (APG III, 2009).
Acer nigrum is quite similar and some consider them the same species, but Acer nigrum is distinguished by its dark, corrugated bark, and leaves with mostly three lobes, dark green, and velvety underneath with stipules at the base of the leaf stalks.
The sugar maple is the national tree of Canada. Its leaf is on their flag.
Sugar maple produces twice as much sap as other maple species and is thus the leading producer of maple syrup.
It takes 30-40 liters of sap to make one liter of maple syrup (Ministry of Natural Resources, 2024).
Native
Introduced
Lives primarily in undisturbed woods, but does not grow well in swampy habitats. Sugar maple is native to the eastern half of the United States but widely planted elsewhere (Morton Arboretum, 2023).
According to NatureServe Explorer (2024), Acer saccharum is considered secure.
