A Sugar Maple by: Raymond A. Foss
“Reds and oranges, yellows and greens
the fall colors of the sugar maple
adorning the front lawn of the church
ripening leaves, fall fruits
shimmering in the bright morning sun
a blue sky behind, framing them all
clinging to the stems the branches
for a few minutes more, holding on
to their moments in the sun
painting colors across the sky
a treasure, part of creation’s tableau
greeting us this morning, yesterday morning
on the way to worship.”
The sugar maple stands out in a landscape. Medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange, and red in the fall. This tree tolerates shade, likes a well-drained, moderately moist, and fertile soil. One should not plant this tree in confined areas or where salt is a problem. This tree grows 60’ to 75’ and spreads 40’ to 50’.
Besides providing beautiful borders to many miles of highway, and hundreds of thousands of gallons of maple syrup, it yields a wood of high grade. The wood is hard, strong, close-grained, and tough, with a fine, satiny surface. It is in great demand for flooring, veneer, interior finish, furniture, and as a fuel wood of the best quality.
Physical characteristics
Photo By: Julia Giza
Leaf: The leaves are simple and opposite from each other on the maple tree. They grow 3 to 5 inches wide and contain 3 to 5 shallow lobes with wide-spaced coarse teeth. The leaves are dark green, paler below, and the clefts are rounded at the base. Each leaf edge is smooth between the points and the left stalk (petiole) is typically equal in length or shorter than the leaf blade.
Flower | Seeds: The flowers of sugar maple are greenish yellow with long stalks (pedicles) appearing in drooping clusters 1 to 2.5 inches long. Sugar maple is monoecious, which has a female (staminate) and male (pistillate) flowers on the same plant.
The maple grows keys (samaras), in short clusters, ripening in September. Samaras are paired with the seeds joining each other in a straight line, but the wings are separated by about 60 degrees.
Shape: The maple tree has an oval, rounded shape to it.
Twigs: Slender, shining, and warmly brown, the color of the maple sugar.
Trunk | Bark: The bark on the younger trees is dark gray, close, smooth, and firm; becoming furrowed into long irregular plates lifting along one edge. On mature trees, the bark usually appears to have long plates that peel along the side edge.
Life span: The Sugar maple enjoys an exceptionally long lifespan ranging from 300 to 400 years.
ES 203: SPRING FLORA OF THE GREAT LAKES
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