Appalachian Tree Species

Sugar Maple

Acer saccharumHardwood

Sugar Maple is a hardwood of eastern North America with opposite, lobed leaves and dense wood used in flooring and furniture. In commerce it belongs to the hard-maple group.

Species and Commercial Names

Acer saccharum is Sugar Maple, also called Rock Maple. “Hard Maple” is a commercial grouping that includes Sugar Maple and Black Maple. It should not be treated as a botanical name for every maple board.

Tree & Region

Where It Grows

Sugar Maple grows through the northeastern and central parts of North America and south along the Appalachians. Kentucky lies within this broader forest range.

It favors moist, well-drained soils, especially loams. Dry, shallow ground and swamps are less favorable; toward the southern part of its range, cooler slopes and moist ravines become more important.

Identifying the Tree

A mature Sugar Maple is a large deciduous tree with a dense, rounded crown. Its branching and crown width depend on the space around it.

Foliage

Leaves occur in opposite pairs on the twig. They usually have five lobes, with the lower pair smaller than the upper lobes. Fall colors can include yellow, orange and red.

Bark

The gray to gray-brown bark becomes furrowed with age, forming irregular ridges and plates.

Fruit, Seeds & Cones

Small spring flowers are followed by paired winged fruits called samaras. The wings help carry the seeds away from the tree.

The Wood

Appearance and Grain

Hard maple commonly has pale sapwood and light reddish-brown heartwood, although the heartwood can be darker.

The texture is fine and fairly even. Sugar Maple is generally straight-grained, but figured material such as curly or birdseye maple is also selected for decorative work.

Practical Characteristics

Hard maple is heavy and hard, but it can also move appreciably with drying. Match moisture condition to the finished use rather than assuming that a hard wood is dimensionally unchanging.

Common Uses

Established hard-maple uses include flooring, furniture, cabinets, cutting boards and turned items. Its use in gymnasium and dance floors is another familiar example.