Scientific name: Acer saccharum
Common name: Sugar Maple
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to eastern North America [1,2].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for A. saccharum.
USDA Zones: 3-8 [4]
Maximum age: May live for up to 500 years [1], but seldom live longer than 250 years [2].
Ecology: Provides important forage for a number of wildlife species, including deer, hare, squirrels, and porcupines. It is also an important source of tree cavities for cavity-nesting wildlife. The flowers are often visited by bees and other insects [1].
Ethnobotany: As its name suggests, sugar maple is the primary source of sap used to create maple syrup [1,2]. However, it is also an important source of lumber for specialty items, such as gun stocks and bowling pins [1]. Indigenous American groups use sugar maple to create syrup and as a sweetener in foods [1], as a source of lumber, and as an ingredient in various medicines [3].