{"product_id":"sugar-maple","title":"Sugar Maple","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAcer saccharum\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Shade for large lawns, park and campus plantings, woodland edges, fall color focal points, maple syrup plantings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e The full yellow-to-orange-to-scarlet autumn range on a single tree, a dense oval canopy that casts genuinely deep shade, a lifespan often exceeding two hundred years, and sap sweet enough to make syrup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–8\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun, Partial Sun\/Shade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deciduous Tree\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upright, Rounded — dense oval canopy with a strong central leader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Green, maturing to Orange and Red in fall\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 40–80 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30–60 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow to Moderate\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe tree responsible for New England in October.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSugar Maple is the standard against which other fall color is measured. A single tree often carries yellow, orange, and scarlet at once, shifting through the sequence over several weeks rather than turning all at once. Nothing else in the eastern landscape does quite the same thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe form is a dense upright oval on a straight trunk, with tidy branching and gray bark that develops long vertical plates with age. Summer shade underneath is deep enough that lawn grass struggles, which tells you how much canopy the tree builds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrowth is deliberate rather than fast, and that is part of the bargain. In exchange you get one of the longest-lived hardwoods available, commonly reaching two hundred years and often more on a good site.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is also the source of maple syrup. Sap collected in late winter runs roughly forty parts sap to one part syrup, a ratio that explains both the price of the real thing and the patience it requires.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSugar Maple Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun to partial shade with room for a wide canopy. Sugar Maple is more shade tolerant when young than most large shade trees.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSoil should be deep, moist, fertile, and well drained, ideally slightly acidic to neutral. This species is comparatively particular: it resents compacted ground, road salt, prolonged drought, and reflected heat from pavement, which is why it performs far better in lawns and parks than in narrow street strips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater deeply and consistently through the first several seasons, and continue during summer dry spells. A wide mulch ring makes a real difference by keeping the shallow root zone cool and moist. Keep mulch a few inches off the trunk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeeding is rarely necessary in good soil. If leaf color is pale or growth has stalled, apply a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e in early spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePrune in late summer or early fall to avoid the heavy sap bleeding that follows late-winter cuts. Establish a single central leader and well-spaced scaffold branches while the tree is young; mature trees need little beyond removal of damaged wood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Sugar Maple for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Sugar Maple ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Sugar Maple Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen mature, \u003cem\u003eAcer saccharum\u003c\/em\u003e typically reaches about 40–80 feet tall and 30–60 feet wide. Open-grown trees develop the broadest, most symmetrical canopies; forest-grown trees run taller and narrower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSugar Maple\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHard Maple\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRock Maple\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I tap a Sugar Maple for syrup?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEventually, yes. A tree generally needs to reach about ten to twelve inches in trunk diameter before it can be tapped, which usually takes thirty to forty years. Sap is collected in late winter when nights freeze and days thaw, and it takes roughly forty parts sap to yield a single part finished syrup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs Sugar Maple native to North America?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. It is native throughout the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, west to Minnesota and south along the Appalachians. Explore more of the region’s species in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/native-plants\"\u003eNative Plants of North America\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhere does Sugar Maple struggle?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompacted urban soil, road salt, reflected heat from pavement, and extended drought are its weak points. It is a poor choice for narrow street strips or parking islands but excellent in a lawn or park setting with room to root.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow does Sugar Maple compare to Red Maple?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSugar Maple lives longer, casts denser shade, and produces the wider yellow-orange-red fall range. Red Maple grows faster and handles wet ground and city stress much better. Both, along with other large options, are in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/trees\"\u003eTrees\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"3 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47491551101090,"sku":"APC-SugMap-3-1yr","price":89.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/SugarMaple.jpg?v=1785929463","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/sugar-maple","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}