Common Name:
SUGAR MAPLE, HARD MAPLE
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Coefficient of Conservatism:
5
Coefficient of Wetness:
3
Wetness Index:
FACU
Physiognomy:
Nt Tree
T. Morris
This is the maple of “beech-maple” forests, where it is also often associated with hemlock, yellow birch (northward), basswood, ironwood, and other species (beech is absent from the western Upper Peninsula); it is also a component of diverse mixed hardwood forests, especially in the southern part of the state. It thrives on a diversity of soils, including stabilized (forested) dunes receiving moisture-laden winds off the Great Lakes, but rarely in swamps.
Hard maple is a major timber tree in Michigan, the most important hardwood, for durable uses such as flooring, mallets and handles, and chopping blocks, as well as furniture and veneer. Production of maple syrup and sugar from the sap has been important since before Europeans invaded the region, and indeed maple sugar was a major article of trade among the Native Americans. Michigan’s maple syrup production is the fifth highest in the nation. This is a handsome shade tree, the foliage becoming various shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall. See notes under A. nigrum.