Maple is any of about 120 species of broadleaf trees and shrubs common in forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Most maples grow in regions with climates that are neither very cold nor very warm. About two-thirds of all maple species are native to China. Other species are native to other parts of Asia, Europe, North America, and northern Africa.
Maples are easy to recognize because their leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the branch, and each leaf has several lobes. No other North American tree has opposite, lobed leaves. Nearly all maples lose their leaves in the autumn. In numerous species of maples, the leaves turn bright orange, red, or yellow before they drop off.
Maples flower in the spring, either before or at the same time the leaves appear. Most maples bear male and female flowers on the same tree. Maple seeds, sometimes called keys, grow in pairs and have flat, thin wings that make them whirl and float in the wind as they fall. Breezes can carry the seeds far from the parent tree, thus helping maples spread to new areas.
Maples are an important source of lumber. Some species have very hard, strong wood. Manufacturers use it to make furniture and musical instruments. The sap of certain maple species is used to make maple syrup. People also plant maples as shade trees.
North American maples
Fourteen species are native to North America. They grow mostly in the eastern half of the continent.
Sugar maple
is one of the most common trees in the broadleaf forests of southeastern Canada and the northeastern quarter of the United States. This tree typically grows 75 to 100 feet (23 to 30 meters) tall and measures 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 centimeters) in diameter at its base. However, it may reach a height of 135 feet (41 meters) tall and a diameter of 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters). The sugar maple is most common in areas that are neither swampy nor very dry.
Sugar maple wood is the hardest and strongest maple wood. It polishes well and is widely used for furniture, cabinets, and violins and other musical instruments. It is also used for making bowling alleys. Some sugar maple wood has an unusual grain pattern that makes it particularly beautiful and valuable. This wood, called curly maple or bird’s eye maple, is used in fine furniture and stringed musical instruments.
People also value the sugar maple for its sweet, flavorful sap. The sap rises in the trunks in the spring. Syrup producers collect the sap from pipes driven into the tree trunks. They then boil the sap down to make maple syrup and maple sugar. Maple syrup production is a multimillion dollar industry in New England and southern Canada.
Red maple
is common in eastern and midwestern forests of the United States and in southeastern Canada. This tree thrives in rich, moist woods; on rocky ridges with thin, dry soil; and in swampy areas that are flooded for part of the year. Most red maples grow 70 to 90 feet (21 to 27 meters) tall.
The red maple has red twigs. In the fall, its leaves usually turn red. People sometimes plant the red maple as a shade tree in yards and along streets because it is colorful in both spring and fall and grows well in most soils. Furniture makers sometimes use the wood of the red maple.
Silver maple
is common along rivers and streams in much of the eastern and midwestern parts of the United States and in southeastern Canada. Unlike most trees, the silver maple produces seeds in the spring instead of in the fall. Botanists believe this characteristic developed as an adaptation to growing near rivers that flood in the spring. Such flooding washes away plants and soil, leaving bare areas of ground. Many silver maple seeds fall on these bare areas and begin growing without competition from other plants.
The silver maple was once popular as an ornamental tree because it grows fast. But people seldom plant it today because its branches break off easily in storms and the leaves are not colorful in the fall. The silver maple produces brittle wood with limited economic value.
Boxelder,
sometimes called ashleaf maple, is the most widespread maple in North America. It often grows along streams and swamps throughout much of the United States and Canada. It is also found in parts of Mexico and Central America. The boxelder has compound leaves—that is, each leaf consists of several leaflets. The male and female flowers of the species grow on different trees. Female trees grow in wetter sites, and male trees grow in drier places.
In the past, landscapers often used the boxelder as a street tree because it grows fast when young. However, they rarely plant it today because its branches split off easily. Boxelders produce soft, weak wood that has little economic value. See Boxelder.
Bigleaf maple
is the only tree-sized maple found in the Pacific Northwest. It often grows in open areas and near lowland streams. It is also found growing under the giant evergreen trees of the Pacific Coast rain forest. Bigleaf maple leaves may measure 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) across. The wood is sometimes used for furniture and musical instruments.
Other maples
Several species of maples native to Europe have been planted widely in North America. The Norway maple averages about the same size as the red maple. It is an important timber tree in northern Europe. Landscapers use the Norway maple as a street tree in North America because it tolerates pollution well. The sycamore maple ranks as an important timber tree in central and southern Europe. It, too, is sometimes planted as a street tree in North America.
Certain species of maples native to Asia are widely planted as ornamental shrubs. They include the Japanese maple and the fullmoon maple. Some cultivated kinds of these trees have red or bronze-colored leaves.
