This tree is often the dominant canopy tree in mesic woodlands, or it can be codominant with American Beech or American Basswood. Sugar Maple is often cultivated as a landscape tree in parks and yards. Habitats include rich mesic woodlands, sandy woodlands, wooded bluffs and hills, north-facing wooded slopes, wooded areas in protected coves and river valleys, lower slopes or bottoms of rocky ravines and canyons, and edges of limestone glades. Range & Habitat: The native Sugar Maple is a common tree that occurs throughout Illinois (see Distribution Map) it probably occurs in every county. It often casts a dense shade that kills turf grass and other vegetation. Sugar Maple is somewhat susceptible to air pollution (including acid rain), road salt, ice damage, and wind-throw. Generally, this tree doesn't tolerate flooded conditions for any substantial length of time. Young saplings of Sugar Maple are able to survive in moderately dense shade, although higher levels of light are preferred. During the autumn, the deciduous leaves assume brilliant shades of yellow, orange, or red.Ĭultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, well-drained mesic conditions, and a fertile loamy soil, although soil containing rocky material, sand-loam, silt-loam, or clay-loam is also tolerated. The woody root system consists of much-branched lateral roots that are relatively shallow. Individual samaras are about 1" long, consisting of a single-seeded head with a membranous wing they are distributed by the wind. ![]() The paired samaras form a 60º to 90º angle with each other. Fertile female flowers are replaced by paired samaras that become mature during the fall. Cross-pollination occurs by the wind during a 1-2 week period. The flowers bloom during mid- to late spring as the leaves emerge (which are yellowish green at this time of year). The long slender pedicels of both male and female flowers are quite hairy. Both male and female flowers can occur in the same inflorescence. Individual female flowers are about 1/8" (3 mm.) long, consisting of a yellowish green calyx with 5 teeth and a 2-celled ovary with a divided style. Female flowers are also produced in drooping umbels or sparingly branched corymbs, but they are shorter (about 1-2" long). Individual male flowers are about 1/8" (3 mm.) long, consisting of a yellowish green calyx with 5 teeth and a variable number of exerted stamens (usually about 6-8). Male flowers are produced in drooping umbels or sparingly branched corymbs about 3-4" long. Sugar Maple is either dioecious or monoecious, producing separate male and female flowers on the same or different trees. The slender petioles are 2½-4" long, light green, and glabrous less often, they may be pubescent or slightly red. schneckii) in southern Illinois and areas further south that has leaves with softly pubescent undersides. ![]() However, there is a variety of Sugar Maple ( var. The upper leaf surface is dark green and glabrous, while the lower surface is pale to medium green, glabrous (or nearly so), and sometimes slightly glaucous. The margin of each leaf is often slightly undulate and it has a few large teeth that are dentate. The tips of these lobes are pointed, while their sinuses are rounded the sides of the terminal lobe are more or less parallel. Individual leaves are 3-5" long and similarly across each leaf has 3-5 palmate lobes and an orbicular outline. Pairs of opposite leaves occur along the twigs and young shoots. Non-woody young shoots are light green and glabrous. Branch bark is gray and more smooth, while twigs are brown and glabrous with scattered white lenticels (air pores). Trunk bark is gray to gray-brown and it is covered with relatively flat irregular plates. Saplings that are growing in dense shade, however, have a narrow open crown with only a few ascending branches. In relatively open areas, the densely branched crown is globoid to ovoid in shape. Description: This tree is 60-100' tall at maturity and its trunk is 2-3½' across.
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