![]() saccharum is slow, not taking place until the following spring when the soil has warmed and all frost danger is past. The seeds fall from the tree in autumn, where they must be exposed to 45 days of temperatures below 4 ☌ (39 ☏) to break their coating down. The fruit is a pair of samaras (winged seeds). The sugar maple will generally begin flowering when it is between 10 and 200 years old. The flowers are in panicles of five to ten together, yellow-green and without petals flowering occurs in early spring after 30–55 growing degree days. The recent year's growth twigs are green, and turn dark brown. The leaf buds are pointy and brown-colored. They also share a tendency with red maples for certain parts of a mature tree to change color weeks ahead of or behind the remainder of the tree. ![]() In some trees, all colors above can be seen at the same time. Sugar maples also have a tendency to color unevenly in fall. The fall color is often spectacular, ranging from bright yellow on some trees through orange to fluorescent red-orange on others. In contrast with the angular notching of the silver maple, however, the notches tend to be rounded at their interior. The basal lobes are relatively small, while the upper lobes are larger and deeply notched. The leaves are deciduous, up to 20 cm (7.9 in) long and wide, palmate, with five lobes and borne in opposite pairs. As with most trees, forest-grown sugar maples form a much taller trunk and narrower canopy than open-growth ones. A 10-year-old tree is typically about 5 m (20 ft) tall. Description Bark Seasonal leaf color changeĪcer saccharum is a deciduous tree normally reaching heights of 25–35 m (80–115 ft), and exceptionally up to 45 m (150 ft). It may also be known as "rock maple", "sugar tree", "birds-eye maple", "sweet maple", "curly maple", or "hard maple", particularly when referring to the wood. Sugar maple is best known for being the primary source of maple syrup and for its brightly colored fall foliage. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Saccharodendron saccharum (Marshall) MoldenkeĪcer saccharum, the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae.Grading is carried out in Canada by state inspectors with the aid of a spectrophotometer. An indication of the quality and taste of the maple syrup is its lightness or translucence these depend on the time of harvesting. These natural changes occurring in the sap account later for the grading of the maple syrup. As the harvest progresses, the sap becomes darker and its flavour intensifies. At the start of harvesting time, the maple sap is a pale, amber colour and has a mildly sweet flavour. For microbiological reasons, the syrup is heated again to a temperature of approx. In the sealed container the syrup cools down further a natural vacuum is created which serves to preserve the syrup. After this, the syrup is filtered and then, at a temperature of over 80 ☌, poured into barrels which are immediately sealed. The desired consistency and a water content of approx. In the process, the maple syrup is heated gently to a temperature of approx. This raw sap is fed through a multi-stage evaporation system which consists of a sequence of large stainless steel pans. The maple sap flows via tubes directly to the "sugar house" for processing. Today, the practice of harvesting via a series of tubes directly connecting the trees has established itself. In the past, the syrup was caught by small buckets hanging directly on the trees. A spout is inserted in the drilled hole so that the sap can flow out of the trunk. Proper tapping without the use of chemicals leaves the trees undamaged, since the bark generally heals within a few weeks, and the trees can be tapped at other points every year. Depending on the diameter of the trunk and the age of the tree, up to five tap holes are drilled. To extract the maple sap, holes are drilled in the trunk of the tree. When permanent frost gives way to night-time frost, and daytime temperatures rise above 0 ☌, the sugary sap of the maple tree begins to flow to provide the tree with nutrients for budding. Harvesting time for maple sap is limited to the period between the end of February and mid-April. ![]() Among the many varieties of maple, the sugar maple is of particular importance for maple-sap extraction. ![]()
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