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Sugar maple

Acer saccharum | Family: Sapindaceae/Soapberry

submission: Chrissy McIntire

Identification:

Leaves—

green colored and intricate maple shape

Twigs—

Thicker and dull brown color

Flowers—

small green clusters without petals

Fruit—

the seeds are contained in winged clusters

Bark—

rough texture and dull brown color

Hover over one of the descriptions to see an example.

picture of leaves picture of bark picture of twigs picture of fruit picture of flowers

 

Natural History:

Lifespan—

They can live to be over 200 years old.

General description—

It is the national tree of Canada. It tolerates most temperatures; however, it doesn’t tolerate pollution and urban places very well.

Natural distribution and habitat—

Native to Ontario, and they can be found in the Midwest and the east coast.

Conservation status—

Since it's widely distributed throughout North America and it has a very long lifespan, there are no extinction threats.

Uses—

This tree is used mainly for the maple syrup and timber industries.
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