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Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)

Sugar Maple, Northern Sugar Maple, Rock Maple, Striped Maple, Acer palmifolium, Acer saccharophorum

Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple, Northern Sugar Maple, Rock Maple, Striped Maple, Acer palmifolium, Acer saccharophorum, Tree with fall color, Fall color, Red Leaves, Red Autumn Leaves,

Noted for its spectacular fall color, Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple) is a large, deciduous tree with a straight trunk, wide-spreading branches, and a dense, oval to rounded crown. Its foliage of five-lobed leaves, 3-6 in. (7-15 cm) ranges from medium to dark green in summer and changes to a brilliant palette of yellows, oranges, and reds in the fall. In spring, greenish-yellow flowers, borne in short, upright sprays, appear before the leaves and are followed by two-winged samara. Long-lived and slow-growing, Sugar Maple also provides some winter interest with its attractive, gray-brown bark, often ridged and furrowed with age. Excellent shade tree or specimen tree. The sugar maple leaf is the national symbol of Canada. Native Americans taught the early colonists how to tap these trees to produce maple syrup. About 40 gallons of sap are required to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup.

  • Grows up to 40-80 ft. tall (12-24 m) and 30-60 ft. wide (9-18 m).
  • A full sun or part shade lover, this plant is easily grown in fertile, moist, acid, well-drained soils. Tolerant of full shade. Sugar Maple grows on sands, loamy sands, sandy loams, loams, and silt loams, but it does best on well-drained loams. It does not grow well on dry, shallow soils and is rarely found in swamps. Sugar maple is susceptible to salt, excessive heat, and leaf scorch in drought.
  • Low maintenance, this tree needs little pruning. If pruning is necessary, prune during the dormant season and avoid pruning in spring when the sap is running. Fertilize in spring before the leaves emerge.
  • Roots are often shallow and reach the surface at an early age. Plant in an area where grass below it will not need to be mowed, so the mower will not damage the roots.
  • May be affected by scale insects, aphids, and verticillium wilt.
  • Propagate by seed and by grafting
  • Native to Eastern North America.

Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Plant Type Trees
Plant Family Sapindaceae
Genus Acer
Common names Sugar Maple, Maple
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 40' - 80'
(12.2m - 24.4m)
Spread 30' - 60'
(9.1m - 18.3m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma
Tolerance Full Shade
Attracts Birds
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Acer palmatum ‘Fireglow’ (Japanese Maple)
Acer palmatum ‘Ariadne’ (Japanese Maple)
Acer palmatum ‘Sumi-Nagashi’ (Japanese Maple)
Acer palmatum ‘Pixie’ (Japanese Maple)
Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Brilliantissimum’ (Sycamore Maple)
Acer ginnala (Amur Maple)

Recommended Companion Plants

Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)
Aquilegia canadensis (Canadian Columbine)
Hypericum prolificum (Shrubby St. John’s Wort)
Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)

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Combining Japanese Maples for long-lasting color impact
Companion Plants for your Japanese Maples
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Native Plant Alternatives to Acer platanoides (Norway Maple)
Shrubs and Trees with Attractive Winter Bark
Best Companion Plants for Camellias
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 9
Heat Zones 1 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Plant Type Trees
Plant Family Sapindaceae
Genus Acer
Common names Sugar Maple, Maple
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Height 40' - 80'
(12.2m - 24.4m)
Spread 30' - 60'
(9.1m - 18.3m)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Showy
Native Plants United States, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Kentucky, Oklahoma
Tolerance Full Shade
Attracts Birds
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow, Informal and Cottage
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Acer (Maple)
Guides with
Acer (Maple)
Not sure which Acer (Maple) to pick?
Compare Now

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