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Maple trees are classified in the genus Acer in the Maple family (Aceraceae). Many botanists now fold this family into the Sapindaceae (soapberry) family. Almost all of the species are deciduous.
Three traits that can help you spot a maple tree are leaves that are palmate and lobed (for most species - check out the hornbeam maple in this series for an example of one with lobeless leaves), opposite branching, and winged seeds called samaras. If you wish to plant the seeds and grow your own, a...MORE period of stratification will likely be in order before they will germinate.
Many people decide to plant these because they work well as shade, street and specimen trees. Maples are renowned for their autumn colors. They love to put on a display of oranges, browns, yellows and reds every year. Some trees may have leaves sporting several of these colors at once! Another desirable trait of some species is their ability to tolerate drought.
An important product made from maple trees is maple syrup, which is made from collected sap. Tap a sugar or black maple for best results. Sap can also be collected from other maple species like the big leaf, boxelder, red and silver. The sap is then boiled and filtered. Depending on the species and strength of syrup desired, it can take over 50 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup.
The maple is the national tree of Canada as of 1965. A stylized version is featured prominently on their flag.
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Continue to 2 of 15 below.
02 of 15 Amur Maple
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The Amur maple is one of the smaller trees in the Acer genus. Once established, it will have some drought resistance. In some areas it can be invasive, so check with your extension office first before planting. The 'Embers' and 'Flame' varieties have especially vibrant fall colors in both leaves and fruit.
Latin Name: Acer ginnala. Some classify this as Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala
Other Common Names: Siberian maple
Native to: Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Siberia
USDA Zones: 3-8
Size: 15-20'...MORE tall and wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Fall Color: Red. Sometimes yellow will also appear.
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As the name suggests, there are some pretty big leaves on this tree. In fact, this species has the biggest leaves of any maple, which can be over 12" wide. The roots may cause problems for sidewalks and pipes.
Latin Name: Acer macrophyllum
Other Common Names: Bigleaf maple, broadleaf maple, Oregon maple
Native to: Alaska down to southern California, as well as Idaho.
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The hedge maple is a great choice for the urban garden as it does well in drought, salty areas, ozone deficiency, acidic and alkaline soils, and areas with partial shade. It can also be used as a street tree if the power lines are high enough.
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Many plants in a genus are similar in appearance, but there can be some surprises. I was thrown for a moment when I first saw a picture of the hornbeam maple since the leaves are nothing like the ones we picture. Instead, as the scientific and common names note, the foliage is more like what you would find on a hornbeam (Carpinus spp.) and do not have the palmate lobes that most maple leaves feature.
This species can be a small tree or large shrub.
Scientific Name: Acer carpinifolium
Other Common...MORE Names: Hornbeam-leaved maple
Native to: Japan
USDA Zones: 4-7
Size: 15-30' tall and wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Fall Color: Yellow, bronze, brown or gold
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06 of 15 Japanese Maple
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The Japanese maple is a staple in many Japanese gardens, as well as in the world of bonsai. The leaves are either green or red and come in a wide variety of shapes and textures since there are thousands of cultivars of this species. This can be the focal point in many different types of garden designs. You can get dwarf ones that are more shrub-like in nature, or choose one that is more like a small to medium tree.
Latin Name: Acer palmatum
Native to: China, Korea, Japan
USDA Zones: 5-9
Size: Va...MOREries - average is 15-25' tall
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade, may handle full shade
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This popular maple species was brought to North America in the 18th century. You may not want to plant the Norway maple in a lawn as the roots will grow right to the surface and make mowing difficult. 'Crimson King' is one of the most popular varieties and features maroon leaves throughout the growing season. In the right settings, this species may become invasive, so make sure this is not a problem in your area first.
Latin Name:Acer platanoides
Other Common Names: European maple
Native to: Eu...MORErope and western Asia
USDA Zones: 3-7
Size: 40-90' tall
Fall Color: Yellow, with some species exhibiting other colors
Continue to 8 of 15 below.
08 of 15 Paperbark Maple
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The paperbark maple is often chosen for its cinnamon or reddish-brown colored bark that peels away from the trunk, including when the tree is young. This is a great tree for providing color and interest during the winter.
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Many parts of the red maple live up to the name. The red flowers become samaras that may feature red, which complement the leaves when they often turn red in the fall. The red maple can adapt to many different growing locations.
Latin Name: Acer rubrum
Other Common Names: Scarlet maple, soft maple, Drummond red maple, Carolina red maple, swamp maple, trident red maple, water maple
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The undersides of this maple tree's leaves are silver and flash attractively in the wind. The silver maple is one of the trees you are most likely to see throughout the United States. Keep it away from areas with pipes and sidewalks.
Latin Name: Acer saccharinum
Other Common Names: Soft maple, creek maple, river maple, white maple, water maple
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This is the first choice for making maple syrup as there is more sugar in the sap compared to other species, meaning it will take less sap to produce a gallon of syrup. The sugar maple can tolerate shade better than most large deciduous trees.
Latin Name:Acer saccharum
Other Common Names: Rock maple, hard maple
Native to: Northeastern and southern United States, and northeastern Canada
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The species and common names for this maple come from the fact that the leaves are similar to those of the sycamore (Platanus). This tree does well with the conditions in urban areas like salt and pollution.
Latin Name: Acer pseudoplatanus
Other Common Names: False planetree, planetree maple, great maple, sycamore, Scottish maple, mock-plane
Native to: Europe and western Asia
USDA Zones: 4-7
Size: 40-60' tall, sometimes higher and 40-60' wide
Vanessa Richins Myers/CC 2.0
This species is closely related to the Amur maple. The Tatarian maple can either grow as a shrub or small tree. The red samaras match the autumn leaves nicely.
Latin Name:Acer tataricum
Other Common Names:
Native to: Central/southeastern Europe and Asia
USDA Zones: 3-8
Size: 15-20' tall and wide
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Fall Color: Yellow and red
Continue to 14 of 15 below.
14 of 15 Vine Leaf Maple
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The vine leaf maple features leaves with three parts,known as trifoliate. This small tree looks similar to the Japanese maple and may also be used as a specimen tree.
Latin Name: Acer cissifolium
Other Common Names: Vine-leafed maple, vineleaf maple, ivy-leaved maple, ivy leaf maple, ivyleaf maple