Tree Identification
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Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple
Leaf and samara
Bud break for leaf expansion and
Flower expansion...
Pointy buds of sugar maple
Pointy buds of sugar maple
Trunks and bark of mature sugar maples
Fall leaves and mature samara
Newly expanded leaves
All Images By: Dave Hanson
  • Characteristics
  • Disease Management
  • Links
Sugar maple or hard maple, highly prized tree for it's lumber and it value in the landscape with its outstanding fall color and beautiful form.
Large tree height: 40-70'
Canopy spreads: 30-50', Rounded crown.
Drought Tolerance: intermediate
Shade Tolerance: Tolerant
Soil pH Tolerance: Tolerant to high pH
Poor Soil Drainage: Intolerant to flooding
Salt Tolerance:

 Sensitive to salt spray and Intermediate to soil salts.
 
Oppositely branched tree with smooth gray bark when young and maturing to a rough, dark colored bark. Flowers, perfect, are green and fruit is a double, winged samara. Foliage is dark green in summer and becomes brilliant yellow with some reds in the fall.

There are several varieties to be found in the nurseries, common as a street tree and in yards and parks. Prefers soils that are rich and well drained, not the best choice for the salt conditions and the hot, dry soils of narrow boulevards.

Did you know
It can take 32 gallons (U.S.) to 43 gallons of raw sap to produce approximately 1 gallon of maple syrup. The sugar content varies from season to season and tree to tree.
DISEASE SYMPTOMS MANAGEMENT
Anthracnose, Discula species and others Fungi
 Tan/brown/black spots and blotches develop on leaves during wet periods. Spring infections result in leaf distortion. Necrosis may follow the veins. Rake up and destroy or compost fallen leaves. Promote tree vigor. Not seriously damaging to healthy established trees.

CHEMICAL: Preventative fungicides should be applied beginning at bud break when deemed necessary. Bordeaux, chlorothalonil, fixed coppers, mancozeb, thiophanate-methyl or zyban.
Leaf spot, Phyllosticta minima Fungi
 Well-defined lesion on the leaf surface with a light-colored center and dark margin at maturity. Tiny black dots (fruiting bodies of the fungus) are often visible. Rake up and destroy fallen leaves. Avoid wetting the tree foliage during irrigation. Promote tree vigor. Seldom damaging to healthy, established trees.

CHEMICAL: Treat preventatively with Bordeaux 8-8-100, fixed coppers or mancozeb.
Target-shaped canker, Nectria galligena, Eutypella parasitica Fungi
 Perennial cankers develop around wounds on immature trees, usually within 10 feet of the ground. The trunk is swollen around the canker, which often has a ãtarget-likeä appearance. Plant on good sites in proper zone. Prevent damage to trunk and limbs. Promote tree vigor. Remove branches with cankers. May become a hazard tree and should be evaluated as such.

CHEMICAL: None.
Tar spot, Rhytisma acerinum Fungi
 Roughly circular, raised black spots on the leaf surface which resemble spots of tar. Seldom a problem. Maintain tree vigor. Infected leaves can be raked up and destroyed or composted.

CHEMICAL: None necessary.
Wilt, Verticillium dahliae Fungi
 Slow growth, dwarfed foliage and/or wilting. Leaves with scorched margins. Defoliation. Often occurs on only one part of the tree. Green to black vascular discoloration may be present in the sapwood of larger branches and the trunk. REFERENCE: Verticillium Wilt of Trees and Shrubs, AG-FO-1164 (MN), Deciduous Tree Diseases, PP-697 (ND). Fertilize to promote growth; keep nitrogen to a minimum. Prevent moisture stress. Remove dead limbs. Do not plant susceptible tree species where Verticillium is present in the soil.

CHEMICAL: None. NURSERY: Preplant fumigation.




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