The Sugar Maple: Generous and Popular!
The Sugar Maple is a generous provider and one of America’s best-loved and most popular trees. It’s no wonder that more states have claimed it as their state tree than any other single species—those states being New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Vermont!
It is famous for its amazing fall color - as the seasons change, the leaves turn vibrant shades of yellow, burnt orange and red. Besides this brilliant beauty, it gives even more gifts. In addition, the Maple is a great shade tree and also is one of the best firewoods! Don’t forget its delicious syrup – today, about two million gallons of the liquid gold support an important rural industry in the U.S.
Wildlife:
Sugar Maples are commonly browsed by white-tailed deer, moose, and snowshoe hare. Hungry squirrels feed on the seeds, buds, twigs, and leaves.
Quirky Facts:
During the 2001 baseball season, Barry Bonds switched from the traditional Ash wood baseball bat to one made of Maple and hit 73 home runs, a new record! In 1663, chemist Robert Boyle informed the Europeans about the tree in the new world that produced a sweet substance and John Smith was among the first settlers who remarked about the Native American's sugar processing and the fact that they used the product for barter. It has been used for medicine because of its bone-building phosphates that enhance calcium retention.