![]() | Family Aceraceae – Maples Maples are some of our most beloved trees. They offer a great variety of form, size, and foliage; many display striking autumn color. | ![]() Custom Search |
A lovely stand of sugar and black maples at the Morton Arboretum |
Maples grow to 45 meters (145 ft), or occur as shrubs less than 10 meters tall. Most are deciduous, but a few in southern Asia and the Mediterranean region are evergreen. Most are shade-tolerant when young, and are often late-successional in ecology; many of the root systems are typically dense and fibrous. A few species produce root sprouts which can develop into clone colonies. Maples are distinguished by opposite leaf arrangement. The leaves in most species are palmate veined and lobed, with 3 to 9 (rarely to 13) veins each leading to a lobe, one of which is central or apical. A small number of species differ in having palmate compound, pinnate compound, pinnate veined or unlobed leaves. [1] Maples are important ornamentals for lawns, along streets, and in parks. They offer a great variety of form, size, and foliage; many display striking autumn color. The red maple (A. rubrum) is one of the most common trees in its native eastern North America, where it tolerates compacted wet soils and city pollution. Box elder (A. negundo) grows quickly to 30–50 ft (9–15 m) and resists drought, so early prairie settlers planted many for shade and for wood to make crates, furniture, paper pulp, and charcoal. The watery, sweet sap of the sugar maple (A. saccharum) is boiled down for maple syrup and sugar; the wood of certain maples is used for furniture. |
Snakeskin Maple | ![]() State Street Miyabe Maple Acer miyabei 'Morton' | ![]() Striped Maple Acer pensylvanicum | ![]() Autumn Blaze Freeman Maple |
![]() Sugar Maple | ![]() "Crimson King" | ![]() Coleman Sugar | ![]() White Tigress Maple | ![]() Red Maple |
![]() Hornbeam Maple | ![]() Miyabe Maple | ![]() Paperbark Maple | ![]() Ivy-leaved Maple |
Typical Maple Leaves |
Schlesinger Red Maple | ![]() Autumn Flame Maple | ![]() Bowhall Red Maple | ![]() Temple's Upright Sugar | Tilford Red Maple |
Green Mountain Sugar Maple |
![]() Painted Maple | Durand Dwarf Maple | ![]() Freeman's Maple | ![]() Hedge Maple |
![]() Bearded Maple | ![]() Tschonoski Maple | Deep-Veined Maple | Trident Maple |
Tree Encyclopedia / North American Insects & Spiders is dedicated to providing scientific and educational resources for our users through use of large images and macro photographs of flora and fauna. |
![]() | Family Aceraceae – Maples |