What Shape Is the Sugar Maple?

Shape

• The sugar maple tree is one of the largest growing trees in its native habitat, with a spreading, rounded, dense crown shape and upright branches. Sugar maple trees in the forest have a very straight trunk, and the branches begin at approximately two-thirds of the tree's height. When grown in open fields or suburbs, the trunks are shorter, and a few large branches support the spreading crown. Sugar maple foliage has distinct U-shaped notches at the base of the leaf lobes in contrast to the usual V-shape in other maple varieties.

Size

• The sugar maple tree has the potential to reach 80 feet in height with a trunk diameter of up to 3 feet. Richard DeGraaf, author of "Trees, Shrubs, and Vines for Attracting Birds," cites the potential height of the tree to be anywhere between 60 and 100 feet. The largest known growing specimen of a sugar maple is 65 feet tall with a 25-foot circumference. The tree is located in Kitzmiller, Maryland.

Description

• The palmate, five-lobed tree foliage of the sugar maple is medium green in color and 3 to 5 inches in diameter. The leaves have smooth edges and are a lighter shade on the undersides. Sugar maple leaves assume their signature golden yellow color, splashed liberally with red and orange, during the fall. The dark gray bark is deeply furrowed and changes to a black color when wet. The shiny stems are reddish brown. The tree blooms with small yellow flowers during early spring.

Growing Requirements

• Sugar maples need moist, well-drained, deep soil for best growth. Choose a south-facing side on flat ground or slopes. Growing the tree in a warm location aids in the production of maple sap. The sugar maple also tolerates partial shade. Protect young seedlings from other plants that are likely to compete for water, light and nutrients. The tree is hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8.