Sugar Maple                A-ser sak-KAR-um

• Deciduous tree, 60-75(100) ft [18-23(30) m], ascending branches, upright oval, twigs of small diam.  With age bark becomes furrowed, with long irregular thick plates or ridges.  Leaves opposite, simple, 7.5-15 cm long and across, 3-5 lobed, narrow and deep sinuses,tip acuminate, base cordate, margin slightly coarsely toothed, generally dark green above (but variable), pale green to light green below; petiole usually 5-7.5 cm long; fall color varies from brilliant yellow, burnt orange and red tones (a comparison with a Red Maple).  Flowers perfect, small, without petals, greenish yellow, on 2.5-7.5 long, thin, pedulous, stalks (pedicels), appear before leaves.  Fruit are paired, winged (samara), relatively small (< 2.5 cm long), glabrous, somewhat horseshoe-shaped, matures in Sept.-Oct.  Winter tree form shows long shoots, but the side shoots are not short as in Red Maple (A. rubrum).
• Sun to part shade.  Often seen in the forest under a canopy.  Prefers well-drained, moderately moist, fertile soil.  Does not perform well in compacted or restricted areas.  Susceptible to salt injury.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 4   Native from the Maritime provinces and southern parts of Ontario and Quebec, New York, and south to Georgia, Mississippi and Texas.
• saccharum: Latin name for sugar cane.  Maple syrup is made from the sap of this tree.  About 40 liters of sap are required to make 1 liter of syrup.
• The national tree of Canada; a stylized version of its leaf is the central feature of the Canadian flag.
• Sometimes confused with Acer platanoides, Norway Maple, see comparison.
• Corvallis: young tree on the south side of the small central circle in Central Park, north of the play area.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: several on the east and south of Sackett dorm.