Sugar maple

Vital statistics

 Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a large native shade tree.

More:

Spring color
Fall color

Spring color

   

Fall color

 

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) may be the most famous fall color tree yet individual trees in the species may vary greatly in color, and the brilliance of color in and sugar maple stand can be very different from one year to the next. Plant a sugar maple, it's always good for a show, but for the best chance at a consistent show from either the gold or orange-red end of its spectrum, choose a variety selected for that color.

The shape of a tree stands out when it's in fall color. Sugar maples are more upright oval than their cousins the (round) red maples, (round) Norway maples and (spreading) silver maples.