Sugar Maple

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is a medium or large tree. While it is not the most abundant tree in the park, this species was included in this tour for several reasons. First, it has beautiful fall color, often turning scarlet, gold or orange. It is one of the most popular trees in the eastern US for fall foliage. Second, it is the source of maple syrup. Sugar Maples is not very common in forests in our area, but is native. Is it planted by landscapers, but is not as common as Red Maple. It typically grows in wetter areas.

Almost every Sugar Maple in the park grows along this portion of the trail, on the hillside.

Red Maple (Acer rubrum), Sugar Maple and Norway Maple (A. platanoides) all grow in the park, and can be difficult to identify. Of these three, Sugar Maple is the least common in the park and Norway Maple is the only one not in this tour, and the only invasive one. Norway Maple leaves are typically wider than long and have shallow lobes. Norway Maple leaves have 5 (sometimes 7) lobes with small points at the ends. Sugar Maple leaves have the deepest lobes and the lobes extend into long points. Sugar Maple leaves have 5 lobes. Red Maple leaves typically have 3 lobes, sometimes have 5 lobes with extra two appearing to be just serrations on the leaf margin.