Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple
Upright with a rounded form when mature, sugar maples can be majestic when grown in conditions they like. With a lifespan of 200-300 years, plant them in conditions where they will thrive. This means cool, moist soil that doesn't stay too wet. They need full sun to develop full fall color but will grow in some shade, too. These big trees need space to mature so larger residential landscapes and open areas are best.
Sugar maples have long provided maple sap for syrup production and hardwood for everything from furniture to flooring. It is also an important food source for several mammals, insects, and birds. A number of birds build nests in sugar maples.
- Long-lived, graceful tree
- Ideal shade tree
- Striking gold to orange fall foliage