In the fall, the sugar maple’s leaves turn into shades of red, orange, and yellow. The sugar maple is native to the Eastern and Central United States and is known for its sweet sap which is boiled to make maple syrup. Sugar maples are one of the most popular maple trees for their stunning display of vibrant red leaves in the fall. The red maple’s vibrant foliage and adaptability to different conditions make it a popular choice for landscaping. The samaras are the tree’s fruit, and they are a key food source for a range of birds and animals. The red maple also produces small, reddish flowers in early spring, followed by samaras in the fall. In the spring, the leaves are a bright green, while in summer they become a deep green that turns to a vibrant, fiery red in the fall. Its leaves are opposite, lobed and glossy, and appear in a range of colors throughout the year. The red maple is also known for its rapid growth rate, with some specimens growing up to two feet per year. In fact, the red maple can tolerate a range of temperatures, making it a popular choice for homeowners and landscapers alike. This distinctive tree is native to North America, and can be found in a range of soils from wet lowlands to dry uplands. Red MapleĪs one of the most popular and easily recognizable maple trees, the red maple (Acer rubrum) is known for its brilliant red leaves in fall. These maples are popularly planted as ornamental trees due to their spectacular fall color. In addition, some cultivars, such as the October Glory Red Maple, have been specifically bred to display brilliant red foliage in the autumn. Maple sugar has been used to flavor tobacco.A number of maple tree species turn red in the fall, including the Red Maple (Acer rubrum), the Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), the Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum), and the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum). They taught French and English colonists to collect maple sap. When colonists settled in the Northeast, Native Americans bartered with their 'bark sugar,' maple sugar stored in bark boxes.

Maple sugar was the only sweetener used by Native Americans of the Northeast, and they used it to make a sauce for many of their foods. Sugar maple sap contains 2 to 6 percent sugar.

Sap collected from the trees in late winter is boiled to produce a thick syrup. Sugar maple is also valued for the production of maple syrup. The strength of this wood is reflected in the genus name, Acer (Latin for sharp), referring to ancient Rome's use of maple to make handles for spears saccharum is the Latin word for sugar and refers to the high sugar content in this species' sap. Of particular value is maple wood with abnormal grain patterns called 'curly maple' and 'bird's eye maple.' These types of maple have been used to make gun stocks and violins. It is called 'hard maple' in the lumber industry and is a popular wood for furniture. Sugar maple has a heavy, light brown, close-grained wood. Leaf colors range from bright yellows to orange and red. Sugar maple is best known for its outstanding fall color that is so characteristic of New England states. ‘Sweet Shadow' - Medium green leaves with deep 'cut leaf' lobes.‘Sentry' or ‘Temple's Upright' - A narrow, upright form often confused with ‘Newton Sentry.' It was once called A.saccharum ‘Columnare.' It is similar to ‘Sentry.'

It is a relatively slow-growing tree that was once called A. ‘Newton Sentry' - The most common of the upright sugar maple cultivars.‘Legacy' - Has attractive, thick, glossy foliage, but is susceptible to Verticillium wilt.Green Mountain® - Popular drought-tolerant cultivar that has dark, leathery foliage.‘Commemoration' - Has dense, dark green foliage that turns yellow-orange-red in fall 10-14 days earlier than the species.It is fairly tolerant of heat and has good yellow-orange fall color. ‘Bonfire' - Has a round crown and broad, shiny leaves.

Types of sugar maple tree