Sugar Maple

(Acer saccharum)

Date Planted: Approximately 1920
Family: Aceraceae

Hardiness: Native, hardy to the Gorham, ME area; Zone 3-8

Mature Dimensions: 60-120 feet in height, 40-60 feet in width

Habit: Upright; oval-rounded with a dense canopy

Bark: Smooth and gray on young trees, often with white spots; furrowed irregularly on mature trees

Buds: ¼ inch in length, clustered terminally in threes, pointed and cone shaped, gray-brown and hairy at apex

Leaves: Simple, opposite, 4-6 inches by 4-6 inches, 3-5 lobed with slightly coarsely toothed margins. Thick dark green leaves turn yellow or red-orange in autumn

Flowers: Perfect, staminate or pistillate; bell shaped, ¼ inch wide, greenish yellow and borne on 1-3 inch long hairy pendulous stalks which appear before leafout

Fruit: 1-2 inch horseshoe-shaped samara with nearly parallel wings; mature in
September-October

Pests/Disease: Leaf scorch can be caused by excessive drought; gypsy moth

Reference Pages:  Dirr M.1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing Co., Champaign IL.