Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple Bonsai - 5 Seeds + FREE Gifts Seeds + Bonsai eBook, NEW

Acer saccharum Bonsai Seeds

Sugar Maple

Acer is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae. There are approximately 132 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America. Acer saccharum commonly known as Sugar Maple is most abundant in the north eastern part of North America. Under optimal growing conditions it can attain heights in excess of 30 m. Trees grown in the open have trunks that branch near the ground, forming crowns that spread 18-25 m. In contrast, those found in shaded forest conditions normally develop clear, straight boles and narrow crowns. Sugar maple trees average about 30 cm of height growth annually for the first 30 to 40 years. Hence a 30-year-old tree might be 15-20 cm in diameter and 9-11 m in height. After about 140 to 150 years, height growth ceases and radial growth slows greatly. Although rare, old-growth sugar maple stands can average 300 to 400 years in age. Sugar maple can survive in a wide variety of soil types, but for maximum tree growth and sap production, soils should be deep, moist, and well drained. Areas generally not favourable to sugar maple establishment include swamps, dry sandy ridges, and thin rocky soils. The pH of soils supporting sugar maple ranges from 3.7 (strongly acidic) to 7.3 (slightly alkaline), but is most commonly found on soils with a pH of 5.5 to 7.3. The bark on young trees is dark grey, but as the tree ages the bark develops rough vertical grooves and ridges (fissures) and may appear dark brown. On mature trees, the bark typically appears to have long plates that peel along the side edge. The flowers of sugar maple are greenish yellow with long stalks appearing in drooping clusters and are pollinated by bees. Fruits that result from flower pollination usually mature in about 10 to 12 weeks and become ripe in September or October. A sugar maple stand managed for the production of maple sap is commonly referred to as a sugar bush or sugar grove. The ideal tree in such a stand has special genetically and environmentally controlled characteristics that provide for a large amount of sweet sap to be produced annually. Most important of these characteristics is a large crown in which many leaves are exposed to direct sunlight. Sap flow is also enhanced by large stem diameters, which develop from wide, deep crowns. Hence open-grown trees with wide crowns favor high sap production rates. Sugar maple has long been valued as a hardwood timber species because of the wood's hardness and resistance to shock. In early America, the wood was used for a variety of household items, including rolling pins, scoops, apple grinders, and cheese presses. Today its uses include lumber for general construction, flooring, fure, cabinet work, and wooden ware. The high density of sugar maple wood makes it a popular fuel for home heating. Sugar maple is a popular ornamental tree because of its tolerance to shade, spreading form, and brilliant autumn foliage.