A stylised version of this species' leaf appears on the Canadian flag, chosen as the national emblem in 1868. It has perhaps the finest autumn colour of any tree, sustaining a multi-billion-dollar 'leaf-peeping' tourism industry across its native range. Also called Rock Maple (for its preference for dry sites) or Sugar Maple, the principal source of maple syrup. Introduced 1735, it grows in lowland dry mixed forests as a long-lived climax species, often with White Oak, Red Oak, Black Cherry and Eastern Hemlock.
Native to south-east Canada, and central and east USA. Relatively uncommon in parks and large gardens only because its colours are often muted in north-west Europe, otherwise well-adapted.
Monoecious, hermaphrodite flowers. Insect-pollinated. Wind-dispersed.
Medium (25-30m), with a dense, wide-spreading crown of slender straight branches. Bark dark grey-brown, smooth, maturing with deep fissures. Twigs slender, olive, with a purple-tinged band by the opposite, slightly downy buds. Autumn colour gold-scarlet. Leaves with 3-5 acute, whiskered-tipped lobes, bright green above, paler below, sharply toothed, on a 4-8cm grooved green petiole exuding clear sap, often cordate at the base. Flowers yellow, pendulous, before or during leaf-flush. Samaras (3-4cm) with wings spreading less than 90 degrees and round nutlets. Norway Maple differs: usually yellow autumn colour, brown buds, wider-angled samaras.
Intolerant of pollution, soil compaction and salt spray, so unsuited to urban planting. Thrives in well-drained, fertile, never waterlogged soils. Highly shade-tolerant, though sun improves autumn colour. Stress, including sudden light exposure after thinning, or trunk damage, can trigger epicormic shoots from latent bark buds.
No notable associations where introduced.
Generally healthy.
Ornamental as a specimen or at woodland edges. It is the main source of maple syrup, mostly produced in Canada by tapping trees in early spring. Its dense, fine-textured, pale timber is highly prized for furniture, cabinetry and musical instruments, and its most valuable form, bird's-eye maple, comes from epicormic shoots, typically sliced for veneer.
