Click on the images to help you identify a sugar maple.
Form
Height is 80 feet with a trunk diameter of up to 24 inches or more. Crown is symmetrically rounded. Trunk is long and clear of branches.
Bark
Young bark is light gray to brown and somewhat smooth. Older bark is almost black with irregular plates or scales. Twigs are smooth and reddish-brown with sharp-pointed winter buds.
Leaf
Simple, opposite on stem. Leaves are 3 to 5 inches long with three- to five- pointed, smooth-edged lobes. The division between lobes is rounded. Color is dark green on upper surface, and lighter green below. In autumn, leaves turn to brilliant shades of dark red, scarlet, orange, or yellow.
Fruit (seed)
Seeds consist of two slightly connected wings (samaras) with each containing one seed. Length about 1 inch. Seeds are easily carried by the wind.
Range
Grows in cool, rich locations in the eastern half of the state. Very shade-tolerant, slow growing, long-lived climax species. Sensitive to fire.
Wood uses
Wood is light brown, hard, heavy, strong, and close-grained. Commercially, wood is called hard or rock maple. Wood is used in the manufacture of flooring, furniture, shoe lasts, numerous small articles, maple syrup, maple sugar, and fuel. Important for ornamental plantings. Learn more with our sugar maple in your yard video. The high sugar content in the sap makes this tree valuable for making maple syrup.