6 Common Maple Trees In Maine (Photos & Identification)
Maine’s landscape is ablaze with the vibrant hues of maple trees in every season, showcasing nature’s artistry. These well-loved trees not only captivate with their stunning foliage, but they also serve a variety of practical purposes.
Maple trees have a special place in the hearts of Mainers, from the delicious sap used to make maple syrup to the durable wood used for furniture and flooring.
This article will look at six common maple trees in Maine, delving into their distinctive characteristics, cultural significance, and the remarkable ways they contribute to the state’s natural beauty and economy.
So, let’s get started exploring the beauty and adaptability of these magnificent maple trees in Maine’s picturesque landscapes.
1. Red Maple
- Scientific Name: Acer rubrum L.
- Common Name(s): Red maple, soft maple, white maple, swamp maple
- Mature Height: 50-60 feet (15-18 meters)
- Native Region: North America
- Flowers: The flowers of the red maple are produced in clusters on stalks before the leaf buds open. Male flowers are yellowish-red, while female flowers are bright scarlet. It is one of the first trees to flower in spring.
- Fruit: The red maple produces abundant seeds with winged structures. The fruit ripens in spring or early summer and germinates as soon as it falls. The wings are slightly divergent, about ¾ inch long, and the seed body lacks a depression.
The red maples are the most commonly found maple trees in Maine. Soft maple, white maple, and swamp maple are some of its other common names. This tree grows quickly and is generally found in swamps and poorly drained areas, while it can also be found in other habitats.
In terms of physical qualities, the red maple is a medium-sized tree with a thin growth habit that can reach heights of 50-60 feet. The branches are straight and create a narrow head. Young trees have smooth, light gray bark, whereas older trunks have dark gray bark that is ridged and split into platelike scales.
The red maple’s leaves are oppositely arranged and have 3-5 lobes with irregularly double-toothed margins. They have a light green upper surface and a white lower surface and are around 3-5 inches long. The leaves change magnificent colors of scarlet and orange in the fall, bringing brilliant colors to the environment.
Before the leaf buds develop in the spring, the red maple produces clusters of flowers on stalks. Female flowers are vivid crimson, whereas male blooms are yellowish-red. Red maples are well-known for being among the first trees to bloom in the spring, heralding the start of a new season.
The red maple generates a large number of winged seeds. These fruits ripen in the spring or early summer and have somewhat divergent wings that are around 34 inches long. As soon as the seeds fall off the tree, they germinate.
In terms of Maine landscape care, the red maple is adaptable to several soil types but thrives in moist or wet circumstances. It is ideal for planting in wetlands or poorly drained areas. This tree can take both full sun and partial shade, making it adaptable to a variety of planting situations. Watering is required regularly, especially during dry months, to guarantee the tree’s health and vigor.
Red maples are treasured not only for their decorative beauty but also for their functional usefulness. Red maple wood is close-grained, hefty, and relatively robust. It is extensively utilized in the production of pulp and firewood. It’s also used to make pallets, furniture stock, canoe paddles, and turnery items. As the price of sugar maple rises, more mills are turning to red maple as a replacement.
Red maple is also often utilized in landscape plantings, where it provides shade, visual interest, and autumn color.
2. Silver Maple
- Scientific Name: Acer saccharinum L.
- Common Name(s): Silver Maple
- Mature Height: 60-80 feet (18-24 meters)
- Native Region: North America
- Flowers: Greenish-yellow or sometimes pinkish, in clusters on very short stalks, opening early before the leaves appear.
- Fruit: Paired, winged, ripens in spring.
- Uses: Softwood is used for limited pulp production.
Except for coastal locations, the silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.) is a common and plentiful tree found throughout Maine. It is one of the tallest maple trees in Maine that grows along sandy banks and streams and can reach heights of 60-80 feet and a diameter of 2-3 feet.
The silver maple trunk typically divides into many erect secondary stems and is barren of branches for some distance. The branches themselves are long and slender, appearing drooping or pendulous.
The bark of young silver maple trees is smooth and gray with a subtle red tinge, whereas the bark of older trees is furrowed and reddish-brown, dividing into huge thin scales that are loose at the bottom. Silver maple twigs are chestnut brown and glossy. The leaves are opposite, deeply five-lobed, and toothed on the edges. The leaves have a pale green upper surface and a silvery white beneath the surface. The leaves turn a pale yellow tint throughout the autumn season.
Silver maple trees have flowers that are greenish-yellow or pinkish Flowers bloom in clusters on extremely short stalks and open early, before the leaves form. The silver maple’s fruit is paired and winged, and it ripens in the spring. It is typical for one of the pair to not fully develop.
The silver maple trees in Maine thrive in sandy soil along streams. It enjoys direct sunlight but will tolerate moderate shade. It is not recommended for planting near buildings or walkways due to its aggressive and invasive root system. Because of its thin root structure, the silver maple is vulnerable to wind damage and uprooting during storms.
Silver maple is commonly used for limited pulp production. Silver maple wood is softer than hard maple wood, close-grained, not durable, and easily worked. Because of its softer wood properties, it is less suitable for some uses but still useful for others.
3. Stripped Maple
- Scientific Name: Acer pensylvanicum L.
- Common Name(s): Striped Maple, Moosewood
- Mature Height: Up to 25 feet (7.6 meters)
- Native Region: North America
- Flowers: Bright yellow, slender drooping racemes
- Fruit: Paired, with moderately divergent wings, smooth oval depression in the seed body
- Uses: Shade tree, ornamental tree, whistle-making wood
The Acer pensylvanicum, often known as Striped Maple or Moosewood, is a shade-loving tree that may be found across Maine. It thrives in the presence of other hardwoods and, on rare occasions, conifers, and prefers rich, moist soils or rocky slopes.
The Striped Maple is a lovely addition to Maine landscapes, despite its major benefit being its visual appeal. It is among the shortest maple trees in Maine rarely grows taller than 25 feet and has a diameter of 8 inches. The branches are slim and erect, and the tree’s crown is narrow and frequently short. The bark of the trunk is reddish-brown or dark green, with whitish streaks that gradually turn brown.
Striped Maple leaves are opposite in arrangement and feature three lobes near the apex, resembling a goose foot. They are pale green and beautifully serrated, reaching lengths of 5-6 inches and similar widths. The leaves become a pale golden color in the fall, adding to the tree’s visual appeal.
The Striped Maple produces vivid yellow flowers in slender drooping racemes in late spring after the leaves have fully matured. These blossoms add to the tree’s overall appeal. The Striped Maple fruit is paired and has moderately divergent wings. It matures completely by late summer and has a smooth, oval depression in the seed body.
The Striped Maple thrives in Maine’s climate in terms of cultivation and care. It grows well in the shade and prefers rich, moist soil or rocky slopes. Watering and mulching should be done regularly to keep the tree healthy.
Pruning can also be used to keep the tree in the proper shape. Furthermore, during the active cambium layer in spring, little branch portions can be easily fashioned into whistles, demonstrating the tree’s adaptability.
While the Striped Maple has little economic worth, it is highly prized for its beauty and is frequently used as a shade tree or an ornamental tree in landscaping. Its close-grained, light, and softwood makes it ideal for producing whistles throughout the spring season. With its lovely foliage, yellow flowers, and distinctive bark patterns, the Striped Maple adds a touch of refinement to Maine settings.
4. Sugar Maple
- Scientific Name: Acer saccharum Marsh
- Common Name(s): Sugar Maple, Hard Maple, Rock Maple
- Mature Height: 60-70 feet (18-21 meters)
- Native Region: North America
- Flowers: Greenish-yellow, pendulous, appearing in clusters with the leaves
- Fruit: Paired, round with wings, about 1 inch long, slightly divergent, ripens in the fall
- Uses: Maple sugar and syrup production, furniture, flooring, tool handles, veneer, railroad ties, novelties, dowels, woodenware, canoe paddles, firewood, and pulp.
The Sugar Maples are one of the most prevalent maple trees in Maine landscapes. It can be found all around the state, especially on damp and rocky slopes, but it flourishes best on moist upland soils.
In a woodland setting, the Sugar Maple can reach a height of 60-70 feet and a diameter of 20-30 inches. The tree’s crown is short and wide. The limbs sprout 8-10 feet from the ground in open regions, generating an egg-shaped head in the early stages and a larger and rounded top as the tree matures.
The Sugar Maple is not only a lovely street or ornamental tree, but it also has essential economic and cultural functions. It is most recognized for its involvement in the manufacturing of maple sugar and syrup, as the sap of this tree contains a significant amount of sugar.
It is worth noting, however, that sugar can be found in the sap of all maple trees. Sugar Maple was historically used to make pieces for sleighs, sleds, pungs (low one-horse box sleighs), and buggy shafts.
Sugar Maple wood is widely prized for its weight, close-grained quality, strength, and hardness. Furniture, flooring, tool handles, veneer, railroad ties, curiosities, dowels, woodenware, canoe paddles, firewood, and pulp are all made from it. Sugar Maple “Birds-eye” and curly-patterned types are especially sought after by the furniture and veneer industries.
When it comes to physical traits, young trees and huge branches of the Sugar Maple have smooth or slightly fissured and pale bark. Some trees’ bark may have oval light-colored patches. The bark gets severely furrowed and ranges in colors from light to dark gray as it ages.
Sugar Maple leaves are opposite, highly lobed, and sparingly toothed. They are 3-5 inches long, dark green on top and pastel green on the bottom. The terminal lobe’s sides are either parallel or divergent, and the notches between the lobes are U-shaped. The leaves put on a spectacular show of crimson, scarlet, orange, and yellow during the autumn season.
Sugar Maple blossoms are greenish-yellow and hang on long, slender, hairy stalks. These blooms grow in bunches next to the leaves. As the autumn season approaches, the tree produces paired fruits. The fruits are spherical and have wings that are about 1 inch long, somewhat divergent, and ripe by fall. Sugar Maple twigs are brown and have sharp-pointed brown buds.
It is critical to provide wet soil and a well-draining environment for the Sugar Maple in Maine landscapes. The tree thrives in damp upland soils with rocky slopes. It is sensitive to road salt and should be avoided in direct sunlight. To maintain the ideal shape and remove any dead or crossing branches, pruning should be done during the dormant season.
5. Norway Maple
- Scientific Name: Acer platanoides L.
- Common Name: Norway Maple
- Mature Height: 30-50 feet (9-15 meters)
- Native Region: Continental Europe
- Flowers: Bright yellow-green, appearing in spring before the leaves.
- Fruit: Paired fruits with leathery wings, about 2 inches long, flattened, light brown, and mature in the fall.
- Uses: Planted as a street and shade tree, wood is occasionally used for firewood.
The Norway Maple, scientifically known as Acer platanoides, is not native to Maine and is thought to have originated in continental Europe. Even though it is not native to Maine, it has been widely planted as a street and shade tree due to its visual appeal and ease of multiplication.
However, because of its aggressive attitude and capacity to dominate its surroundings, this tree is a possible threat to native vegetation, therefore further planting is prohibited. With its broad, spreading canopy, the Norway Maple grows quickly and can reach a mature height of 30-50 feet (9-15 meters).
This tree has specific morphological qualities that distinguish it from others. Young Norway Maple trees have smooth, gray bark, whilst older trees have gray-brown to virtually black bark with long, interlacing vertical furrows.
The opposite leaves are dark green and have 5-7 lobes. They are frequently wider than they are long, and when broken in early summer, the petiole (leaf stem) discharges a distinct white milky sap that distinguishes them from native maple species.
Before the leaves emerge in the spring, the Norway Maple produces brilliant yellow-green blooms. These flowers are followed by 2-inch-long paired fruits with leathery wings. The wings deviate from each other at a wide angle, giving the fruits a striking appearance. The fruit matures in the fall and is light brown.
While the wood of the Norway Maple is occasionally utilized for fuel, it has mostly been planted in Maine for ornamental and shade purposes.
However, because of its aggressive character and the harm it poses to local flora, it is suggested that this species not be planted. Instead, homeowners and landscapers are encouraged to plant native maple varieties that are more adapted to the Maine environment and provide habitat for local wildlife.
To care for Maine landscapes and prevent the spread of the Norway Maple, it is critical to avoid planting new individuals while monitoring and managing existing trees.
Seedlings and saplings must be inspected and removed regularly to avoid establishment in natural environments. Using native plants in landscaping can also help to maintain and sustain the ecological balance of Maine’s natural areas.
6. Mountain Maple
- Scientific Name: Acer spicatum Lam.
- Common Name(s): Mountain Maple
- Mature Height: Up to 30 feet (9 meters)
- Native Region: Found throughout Maine and is especially common in the northern part of the state.
- Flowers: The flowers of the mountain maple appear in June in long, hairy, yellow-green clusters after the leaves are fully grown.
- Fruit: The fruit of the mountain maple is paired, with slightly divergent wings, and occurs in ascending clusters. It has a wrinkled depression on the seed body and ripens in early fall.
- Uses: Mountain maple is not used commercially due to its small size and softwood.
Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum Lam.) is a tiny bushy tree that is common across Maine, particularly in the north. It can reach a mature height of up to 30 feet and frequently forms dense thickets. This tree grows well in moist areas or on damp northern slopes.
Mountain maple twigs are narrow and grow in an erect stance. Its bark is reddish-brown to gray, thin, and furrowed. Mountain maple leaves are opposite, three-lobed, and lustrous on the upper surface. The underside of the leaves is slightly hairy. On the upper surface, the leaves contain coarse teeth and noticeably depressed veins.
The mountain maple produces long, hairy, yellow-green clusters of blooms in June when the leaves have fully developed. These blossoms enliven the tree’s appearance. The mountain maple fruit is paired and has somewhat diverging wings. The seed body has a wrinkled depression and grows in ascending clusters. The fruit matures in early autumn.
Mountain maple is commonly used in Maine landscaping for its decorative qualities. Because of its tiny size and bushy appearance, it is ideal for smaller gardens or forested areas. It is also a wonderful tree for establishing wildlife habitat since its blossoms and fruit attract birds and other species.
It is critical to establish an appropriate habitat with moist or damp soil while caring for a mountain maple in Maine. This tree thrives in damp environments and is commonly seen in northernly exposed regions. Watering should be done regularly to keep the tree healthy, especially during dry months.
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Common Maple Trees In Maine – Sources
The Regional Gardening team makes sure that the information in our articles is accurate by only using sources that are known to be trustworthy. Some of these sources are peer-reviewed journals from government agencies, well-known universities, and scientific research organizations.
- Forest Trees of Maine, Maine Department Of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry
- Identify Maine’s Common Foliage Trees, Maine Foilage
- Plants for the Maine Landscape, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension.
- Gardening to Conserve Maine’s Native Landscape, University Of Maine Cooperative Extension
