Does a Silver Maple Give Sap for Syrup?

Potential

• Silver maples give sap for sugar, along with sugar maples (Acer saccharum), black maples (Acer nigrum) and red maples (Acer rubrum), hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8. However, sugar maples are usually considered the premium tree for maple sap because their sap has a higher sugar percentage. The more sugar in the sap, the less you need to make syrup. Depending on weather and growing conditions, one sugar maple tree can produce as much as 10 to 20 gallons of sap per season, which boils down to about 1/3-gallon syrup. Silver maple trees might produce as much sap, but you must boil it longer to get a sweet product, so your overall production is less.

Method and Season

• The sugaring season, which is the time when sap can be gathered from maple trees, occurs in late winter to early spring, depending on climate. Sap usually flows best after several sunny days with cold nighttime temperatures. The sugaring season lasts from four to six weeks, or until nighttime temperatures rise above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the buds on the trees begin to swell. You can tap any healthy silver maple that is 10 to 12 inches in diameter, as measured 4 to 5 feet from the ground.

Growing Conditions

• You'll find young silver maple trees available at nurseries and garden centers. The trees grow best in full sun to partial shade and moist conditions. Silver maples tolerate most soil conditions, including drought, but they prefer consistent moisture. Native to most of the eastern U.S., silver maples thrive in USDA zones 3 through 9. The trees grow rapidly, reaching up to 80 feet tall. They have a wide, spreading canopy that can reach 60 feet wide.

Considerations

• Even if you don't live in an area with a climate that is conducive to sugaring, you might still find value in silver maples. Because of their rapid growth, silver maples are often planted wherever shade is needed quickly. Every tree has potential liabilities, and sugar maple is no exception. The trees tend to have brittle wood and are often short-lived. Their fall color is usually unspectacular -- the leaves turn chartreuse or pale yellow before dropping.