Maple, Sugar
Category: Downtown Arboretum
Acer saccharum
45 Trees
Details
Noteworthy Characteristics
Acer saccharum commonly known as sugar maple is a deciduous, Missouri native tree which will typically grow 40' to 80' tall (sometimes to 100') with a dense, rounded crown. This tree is a main component of the Eastern U.S. hardwood forest and is one of the trees which is most responsible for giving New England its reputation for spectacular fall color. Medium green leaves (3-6" wide with 3-5 lobes) turn yellow-orange in autumn, sometimes with considerable color variations. Fruit is the familiar two-winged samara. Sugar maples are long-lived trees which grow relatively slowly (somewhat faster in the first 35 years). Native Americans taught the early colonists how to tap these trees to make maple syrup which has now become a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S. and Canada. Excellent shade tree. The sugar maple leaf is the national symbol of Canada.
Genus name is the Latin name for a maple tree.
Specific epithet means sugary in reference to the sweet sap. Saccharum is the genus name for sugarcane.
For more information visit Missouri Botanical Garden HERE
