Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum · Sapindaceae (Soapberry family, traditionally included in Aceraceae)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous
Shape
Palmately lobed with five distinct lobes
Margin
Serrate with remotely toothed edges along the shallow, rounded sinuses
Arrangement
Opposite
Venation
Palmate venation radiating from the base with prominent primary and secondary veins
Key Features
Opposite leaf arrangement, palmately five-lobed leaves with entire to remotely toothed margins, U-shaped sinuses between lobes, and smooth grey-brown bark on mature trunks
Description
The Sugar Maple is a majestic deciduous tree renowned for its dense canopy, deeply furrowed grey bark, and breathtaking autumn foliage. The leaves are characteristically palmately lobed with smooth sinuses, making them an iconic symbol of the northern temperate forest.
Habitat
Found in rich, moist, well-drained upland forests, tolerant of shade in understory stages but prefers full sun to partial shade as a canopy tree
Native Range
Native to hardwood forests of eastern North America, spanning from Nova Scotia and Quebec west to Minnesota, and south to Texas and Georgia