Sugar maple

Recognizing the sugar maple

Sugar maple is recognized by:

• Its brown shaggy bark which changes color with age.
• Its leaves with five palmate lobes, dark green in color on the outside and a lighter green underneath. In fall, they turn red, orange or yellow.

(Photos: Natural resources Canada, Canadian forest service)

Sites favored by the sugar maple

Temperatures

The average annual temperature required by sugar maple is 2.2°C. It is a heliophilous species but tolerates light shade.

Rainfall

Annual rainfall: 1,200 mm. Can be planted up to 1,000 m altitude. One of the least sensitive species to windthrow

Soils

Deep, fertile, damp, well-drained soils (with a certain limestone content).

Root development of the sugar maple

• Deep, well-spread roots

Growth and production of the sugar maple

• Slow growth. Maximum age: 200 years.
• The trees are only exploited for their maple syrup after 40 years’ growth. It takes around 40 liters of water to produce 1 liter of syrup.

Sugar maple wood

Furniture production, flooring, agricultural implements, veneer, cutting boards and a range of other products; also used for general construction work.

This species is also a great source of firewood (slow-burning and very calorigenic.

Health