New York State Tree

Sugar Maple

(Aceraceae Acer saccharum M.)

Adopted in 1956.

The sugar maple, Aceraceae Acer saccharum, sometimes called hard maple or rock maple, sugar maple is one of the largest and more important of the hardwoods. Sap from the trunks of sugar maples is used to make maple syrup is our main source of maple syrup made from sap stored in its trunk. Its leaves are pointed and turn bright colors in the fall. The sugar maple was adopted as the State tree in 1956 in recognition of it value.

Description of the New York State Tree

Sugar maple sometimes called hard maple or rock maple, is one of the largest and more important of the hardwoods. It grows on approximately 12.5 million hectares (31 million acres) or 9 percent of the hardwood land and has a net volume of about 130 million m3 (26 billion fbm) or 6 percent of the hardwood saw timber volume in the United States. The greatest commercial volumes are presently in Michigan, New York, Maine, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania (53). In most regions, both the saw timber and growing stock volumes are increasing, with increased production of saw logs, pulpwood, and more recently, firewood.

Identification

• Leaf: Opposite, simple and palmately veined, 3 to 6 inches long, 5 lobed with entire margin; green above, paler below.
• Flower: Yellow to green, small, clustered, hanging from a long (1 to 3 inch) stem, appearing with the leaves.
• Fruit: Two-winged horseshoe-shaped samaras about 1 inch long, appearing in clusters, brown when mature in Autumn.
• Twig: Brown, slender and shiny with lighter lenticels, terminal buds brown and very sharp pointed.
• Bark: Variable, but generally grayish brown,on older trees may be furrowed, with long, thick irregular curling outward ridges.
• Form: Medium to tall tree (to 100 feet) with very dense elliptical crown.

Statute

Laws of New York
STL State
Article 6 - ARMS AND GREAT SEAL OF STATE
§ 76. State tree. The sugar maple (Acer Saccharum M.) shall be the official tree of the state.

Taxonomic Hierarchy of the Sugar Maple

Source:
Dendrology at Virginia Tech
US Department of Agriculture