Sugar Maple

Growing

Germination from seed is slow. The winged seeds need a period of cold temperatures below a specific threshold to break down their outer coating. After this period, germination occurs in spring once the soil has warmed and the danger of frost has passed. These trees can be started indoors and later transplanted. They grow best in soil with a heavy buildup of humus, though they also adapt to light, loose clay or sandy soils.

Avoid sites prone to flooding or with waterlogged soil, as the tree is short-lived on clay flats that stay too wet. Also avoid locations near roads where deicing salt is used, as this species has low tolerance for salt and is sensitive to boron. Near other maples, you can tell sugar maple from the invasive Norway maple by the leaf petioles: sugar maple has clear sap, whereas Norway maple produces a milky white sap.

These trees are shade tolerant and can persist in the understory for many years, but they are susceptible to defoliation if rosy maple moth larvae become dense. Plant in a well-drained site protected from the acidification caused by acid rain or heavy urban pollution.