Flowers appear from late March to mid May, depending on the geographic location. On mature trees, the bark is dark brown, with vertical grooves and ridges. Photo courtesy of James St. John/CC-by-A2.0. Acer barbatum (saccharum) var. The fruit is a flat, thin-walled legume (pod) 1.5 to 3.9 inches (4-10 cm) long and 0.32 to 0.72 inches (8-18 mm) broad, with several hard, shiny seeds . Under the proper conditions, sugar maple seeds have a high germination rate, exceeding 95%. Slow-growing trees generally have less destructive roots than those that grow quickly. Sugar maple, also called hard maple or rock maple, is one of the largest and most recognizable hardwoods in North America. Plant Sizes. Arborists recommend this tree over the silver maple and other soft maple species when a fast growing maple is needed because it is a relatively tidy, well-shaped tree with a root system that stays within its boundaries and limbs that do not have the brittleness of other soft maples. Different types of maple trees have different types of root systems. Within the United States, sugar maple is found throughout New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and the middle Atlantic states, extending southwest through central New Jersey to the Appalachian mountains, then south through North Carolina and Tennessee. Landowners and landscape professionals should ... Acer species (red, sugar, Norway and silver maples and box-species (red, sugar, Norway and silver maples and box-elder). Height and radial growth begins around budbreak. This is the first half of a two part series on sugar maple. If for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with our service or if there is any concern after we have left your property, we will make it right at no extra charge. It also has a weak wood structure. The root system is … Roots on the upper side of the laterals grow upward into … Southern Sugar Maple; Florida Maple  Scientific Name: Acer barbatum floridanum, Hardiness Zones: 7-9, habit: deciduous, growth rate: moderate to rapid. Red maple is a good choice of a tree for urban areas when there is ample room for its root system. Sugar maple has a high shade tolerance, which is exceeded by few other hardwoods. Samaras reach maturity in September or October. Height growth generally ceases once the tree is around 140 to 150 years of age. Sugar maple establishes a shallow, fibrous root system, with strong, oblique laterals, and extensive branching. Crisp green foliage turns an attractive golden-yellow with red hues in fall. The underside of the leaf is lighter than the upper side. Maple species, such as Acer rubrum, may be monoecious, dioecious or polygamodioecious.The flowers are regular, pentamerous, and borne in racemes, corymbs, or umbels.They have four or five sepals, four or five petals about 1 – 6 mm long (absent in some species), four to ten stamens about 6 – 10 mm long, and two pistils or a pistil with two styles. Both sexes are typically produced in the upper part of the crown. Sugar maple roots form endotrophic and ectotrophic mycorrhizae, which increase water and nutrient absorption. Seeds are produced annually, with heavy crops occurring every two to five years. Maple wilt is the most common disease found in maple trees and affects many species including Norway, sugar, silver, red, and Japanese maples. Both tree and roots grow at a moderate rate. Sugar maples seldom bloom until they have reached 10 to 15 years of age. Chinese pistache: The Chinese pistache is often planted as a street tree due to its orange, red, sometimes yellow fall colors. 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