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This article is co-authored by wikiHow writer Kyle Smith. Kyle Smith is a wikiHow tech writer who loves learning and sharing information about the latest technology. He has presented research at numerous technical conferences and is the writer and editor of hundreds of online electronics repair tutorials. Kyle holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.
This article has been viewed 2,013 times.
Sugar maple (scientific name Acer saccharum ) grows abundantly in the northeastern part of the North American continent: the northeastern United States (which extends south to Tennessee) and parts of southeastern Canada. Sugar maple has very strong wood and provides maple syrup, two commodities that contribute significantly to the local economy. The sugar maple is known as the state tree of New York, and its image on the Canadian flag is proof of its economic importance. You can identify the sugar maple tree by the features of its leaves, bark, branches, and small fruits.
Steps
Identify sugar maple trees based on leaves
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Look closely at the color of the leaves. Sugar maple leaves are dark green on the top and lighter green on the underside. In the fall, the leaves turn from green to gorgeous yellow, orange or red. [1] X Research Source
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Count the leaf lobes. The leaves of the sugar maple are divided into sections consisting of 5 lobes. There are 3 large main lobes in the middle of the leaf and 2 smaller lobes on the sides. The leaf lobes are prominent with pointed serrations and have shallow U-shaped notches between the lobes.
- Some stunted or underdeveloped leaves will have only 3-4 lobes. If you suspect a tree is a sugar maple but find a leaf with fewer than 5 lobes, look around and find other leaves that may serve as a better model.
- You can distinguish the leaves of the silver maple ( Acer saccharinum ) from the leaves of the sugar maple. The leaves of the silver maple are deeply slit between the lobes, and the underside of the leaves is silver or white. [2] X Trusted Source Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Go to Source
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Examine the edges of the leaves. Sugar maple leaves have smooth U-shaped margins between the pointed tips. The leaves are also rounded at the base of the leaves.
- Although many other maple species also have smooth margins, the extremely common red maple ( Acer rubrum ) has pointed tips and serrated margins between the lobes. This can be a very useful distinguishing feature. [3] X Research Sources
- The petiole of a sugar maple, the part that connects the leaf to the branch, is about the same length (or slightly shorter than) the length of the leaf blade.
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Check the growth pattern of leaves on the leaf branches. Look for leaves that grow perpendicularly in pairs on the branches. This is called opposite leaf pattern. The leaves will grow in “pairs” of 2 leaves, always symmetrical about each other on each branch and branch.
- Only a single leaf grows from each petiole.
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Measure leaf size. The mature leaves of the sugar maple are about as long as they are wide (about 8 cm to 13 cm). [4] X Research Sources
- If you’re going to check out the leaves in the woods and don’t have a ruler, you can measure the length of a knuckle of your finger and use it as a relative local gauge. For example, the length from the tip of the thumb to the first joint is usually about 2.5 cm.
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Find the three main veins on the leaves. Each leaf lobe has a vein running the length of the lobe, but the two smaller lobes on either side will have no veins on them. These veins are prominent on the underside of the leaf, and smooth on the upper surface.
- On the underside of the leaves, the veins may be slightly “shaggy.”
Identify sugar maple trees based on bark and branches
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Look for brown and grooved bark. The bark of the sugar maple changes color with the age of the tree. Young trees have gray-brown bark. As the tree matures, the bark becomes darker brown. Another feature is that the bark has longitudinal grooves and is located close to each other.
- The bark is described as “grooved” with deep fissures between the bark fragments.
- The sugar maple is often confused with the Norwegian maple ( Acer platanoides ) of Europe and western Asia. The easiest way to tell the two species apart is by the bark: Young Norwegian maple has a thin layer of bark. Over time, the Norwegian maple will develop longitudinal grooves, but they are not as deep and pronounced as the grooves of sugar maple, and the edges of the bark pieces are not raised much either. [5] X Research Sources
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Check the edge of the bark. The edges of each piece of sugar maple gradually lift as the tree gets older, and the pieces will peel off from top to bottom as the tree reaches maturity. [6] X Research Sources
- Mature sugar maples from a distance appear “shaggy” due to flakes of bark. [7] X Research Sources
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Check the tip of the branch. Branches are small, thin branches that grow from larger branches and are where leaves grow. Look for branches that are thin, glossy, and reddish brown. [8] X Research Source The small shoots at the tips of the branches are covered in small brown scales. [9] X Research Source
- During the winter months, conical leaf buds will grow opposite each other along the length of the branch, and a larger bud grows straight on the tip of the branch. [10] X Research Source
- The leaf buds on the branches are also useful for distinguishing between sugar maples and Norwegian maples. The leaf buds of the Norwegian maple are larger than the leaf buds of the sugar maple. Norwegian maple leaf buds are covered in larger and purple scales, forming a rounded tip. [11] X Research Source
Identify sugar maple trees based on the fruit of the tree
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Pick a small fruit from the tree. The fruit of the sugar maple is green and turns brown when ripe in the fall. The fruit has two “horseshoe” leaves, which means that each fruit has two opposite leaves on either side. The flowers of the sugar maple form two-leaved fruit shaped like wings.
- This pair of “wings” join together at the fruit and form a 60-90 degree angle.
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Measure fruit size. The fruit of the sugar maple is about 2.5 cm long, including the “wings”. These two wings grow parallel to each other. The term for this fruit is “winged fruit.”
- These fruits are sometimes called “seeds.” However, its correct name must be fruit, because the seeds will be inside the flesh of the fruit.
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Identification of the double grain structure. Each sugar maple between two horseshoe-shaped leaves will have a double structure. There are two distinct fruits, each about the size of a small pea, which appear to be joined together in the center of each. [12] X Research Source
Advice
- Sugar maple trees can reach a height of about 20 – 33 m.
- The width of the sugar maple canopy depends on the environment. In large spaces, the branches can swoop near the ground and the canopy is about 18-24 m in diameter. However, trees that grow in tight ground and in the shade will grow taller and have narrower foliage.
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This article is co-authored by wikiHow writer Kyle Smith. Kyle Smith is a wikiHow tech writer who loves learning and sharing information about the latest technology. He has presented research at numerous technical conferences and is the writer and editor of hundreds of online electronics repair tutorials. Kyle holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.
This article has been viewed 2,013 times.
Sugar maple (scientific name Acer saccharum ) grows abundantly in the northeastern part of the North American continent: the northeastern United States (which extends south to Tennessee) and parts of southeastern Canada. Sugar maple has very strong wood and provides maple syrup, two commodities that contribute significantly to the local economy. The sugar maple is known as the state tree of New York, and its image on the Canadian flag is proof of its economic importance. You can identify the sugar maple tree by the features of its leaves, bark, branches, and small fruits.
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