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Acer saccharum
| The Sugar Maple is the State tree of Vermont. It is the largest and most long lived of the of Maples found in the Algonquin Highlands. It grows to 21-30 metres with a trunk that ranges from 30 to 90 cm in diameter. Some of these live to over 300 years old as its wood is hard and resistant to disease and infestations. It prefers wetland conditions, but also prospers in well-drained, deep upland soils. These are the trees that are tapped for their sap, which is converted into delicious maple syrup. One hundred and 30 litres of sap are needed to produce a single litre of syrup! The Maple leaf flies proudly on the Canadian flag. They are 5-lobed, with a "U" shape in the lobe. They are pale underneath, and 5-25 cm long. They change to spectacular deep reds, oranges and yellows in the Fall. Its flowers are yellowish-green, and hang in clusters, blooming in May. The samara or fruit, following the flowers. These fruit are paired forking keys, brown, and contain a single seed. Sugar Maple bark is brown-gray, and becomes vertically ridged and rough as the tree ages. Because Sugar Maple has very strong wood, it is one of the most popular furniture wood, often used for floors. Birds eat its seeds; small animals eat its bark; Deer, Elk and the Moose feed on its young twigs. |
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