Sugar Maple

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Height: 60 feet Spread: 50 feet Sunlight: Full sun Hardiness Zone: 3b Other Names: Hard Maple, Rock Maple
 
Description: The Sugar Maple is possibly the best shade tree for fall colors, displaying a stunning range of hues from gold to burnt orange to red. Shapely and neat, this truly stately tree is adaptable to various soils but dislikes air pollution and soil compaction. Every landscape should have a place for one of these aristocrats.
 
Ornamental Features:
Form: Oval habit of growth.
Foliage: Rich green deciduous foliage. The lobed leaves turn outstanding shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall.
 
Landscape Attributes:
Dense deciduous tree with a shapely oval form.
Average texture that blends into the landscape but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
Low-maintenance tree; should be pruned in summer after leaves have fully developed to avoid 'bleeding' sap.
No significant negative characteristics.
 
Recommended Uses:
Accent
Shade
 
Planting & Growing:
Grows to about 60 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 50 feet.
High canopy of foliage that sits well above the ground, making it unsuitable for planting under power lines. Lower branches can be strategically removed as it matures to create a high canopy that allows unobstructed human traffic underneath.
Grows at a slow rate and can live to a ripe old age of 100 years or more, making it a heritage tree for future generations.
Thrives in full sunlight.
Prefers average to moist conditions and should not be allowed to dry out. May require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat.
Not particular about soil pH but grows best in rich soils.
Somewhat tolerant of urban pollution.
This species is native to parts of North America.