Maple, Sugar

Description:

Sugar Maple is a major component of the eastern hardwood forest in the United States. Soft, light-green flowers in the spring and rich, dark-green foliage in the summer, when combined with the grey, furrowed bark and winter structure, would be more than enough to place this tree high on any list of landscape trees. However, Sugar Maple unites all this with its unrivaled fall color of brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows. Sometimes you see all three on the same tree! Few other trees come close to it in the autumn season. Sugar Maple does need moist, well-drained soil and a pollution-free environment, however. If the cultural requirements can be met, it is one of the best large shade trees available. It will add to any location where it has the room to grow and contributes much to lawns, parks, golf courses, and parks. It can serve as a specimen, be grouped with evergreens to enhance its autumn foliage effect (as if it needed enhancing), or stand outlined against the sunrise or sunset in the dormant season. The possibilities are endless.

Normal mature size is about 80 feet tall with a diameter of around three feet. Seven Gables has many fine specimens, most of them in the wooded area with the largest about 100’ tall with a trunk diameter of 45”.