NAME:
COMMON – Sugar Maple
BOTANICAL – Acer saccharum
FAMILY – Aceraceae (also listed as Sapindaceae)

DERIVATION:
Native to Eastern and Central North America, found from Georgia to Canada.

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS:
Sugar Maples may reach 50 to 120 feet tall and 45 to 50 feet wide.  They tend to grow at a slow to moderate rate in full sun to partial shade.

GROWTH LOCATION:
Prefer to grow in cove forests and other rich forests, especially over areas rich in magnesium and iron (mafic) and lime (calcareous). It can be sporadically found throughout the Piedmont as it was introduced from the mountains to the region as an ornamental plant.

ATTRIBUTES, VALUE, UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:
Leaves turn brilliant shades of red, orange, or yellow in the fall. In spring drooping racemes of yellow flowers are followed by winged seed pods that look like helicopter blades as they fall. The seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals and the flowers support butterflies and other pollinating insects. The wood is used mainly for flooring and furniture. It is the only tree commercially grown today for maple syrup production. The sap is collected in late winter. 

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