Sugar Maple Traditional Cache

Sugar Maple is the New York State Tree. This is a beautiful example. 8bitlion's comment on Cottonwood being the Kansas State Tree, prompted me to check what is ours. This is a P&G.

Sugar Maple

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the most abundant of the seven maple species found in New York State, and is common throughout New England, the Lake States, Mid-Atlantic states, and several Canadian provinces.  Its historical and economical importance, both in the production of maple syrup and as a timber species, has earned sugar maple its status as the official state tree of New York.  The sugar maple leaf on the Canadian flag is evidence of this species' importance in Canada.

Description
Under optimal growing conditions, sugar maple can attain heights in excess of 100 feet. The largest reported individual was found near Bethany, West Virginia; it had a diameter of 5.6 feet, a crown spread of 75 feet, and a height of 110 feet. Most mature trees, however, range from 70 to 90 feet in height and have diameters at breast height (4.5 feet above the ground) commonly measuring from 2 to 3 feet. Trees grown in the open have trunks that branch near the ground, forming crowns that spread 60 to 80 feet. In contrast, those found in shaded forest conditions normally develop clear, straight boles and narrow crowns.

The leaves of sugar maple are simple (single) and like the buds are in an opposite arrangement on the twigs They are usually five-lobed although certain trees may possess leaves with three, four, or five lobes. Leaves are dark green on the top surface and paler underneath. They are generally smooth on both sides, although the veins underneath may be slightly hairy.

Leaves typically measure from 3 to 5 inches long. The margins between lobes are shallow and smooth, which distinguishes them from leaves of the similar-looking red maple (Acer rubrum), which has serrated lobe margins.   Another difference in the leaves is the "U-shaped" connections between lobes of sugar maple leaves versus the "V-shaped" connections of red maple.

Twigs are fairly slender, a shiny reddish-brown color, and covered with lenticels (small openings in the bark). The pith (inside core) of the twig is white. Buds are narrow, sharply pointed, and brown. The terminal bud may be larger (0.25 to 0.5 inch) than the lateral buds (0.10 to 0.25 inch).

The bark on young trees is dark gray, but as the tree ages the bark develops rough vertical grooves and ridges (fissures) and may appear dark brown.  On mature trees, the bark typically appears to have long plates that peel along the side edge.  The bark on mature red maple trees typically has more narrow plates that peel from the top or bottom edge.

The flowers of sugar maple are greenish yellow with long stalks (pedicels) appearing in drooping clusters 1 to 2.5 inches long. Sugar maple is monoecious; that is, it has female (pistillate) and male (staminate) flowers on the same plant The fruit, a double samara, has a characteristic winged shape

Distribution and Habitat

Sugar maple is one of 148 maple species found in the Northern Hemisphere, which includes about 90 native and introduced species in the United States. The range of sugar maple in North America extends from Nova Scotia and Quebec at its northern edge, west to Ontario, southeastern Manitoba, and western Minnesota, south to southern Missouri, and east to Tennessee and northern Georgia. Sugar maple is most common in New England and the Great Lakes states as well as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Elevational limits vary throughout sugar maple's extensive range. In northern New York and New England sugar maple occurs at elevations up to 2,500 feet. In the Great Lakes states, 1,600 feet is usually the upper limit. However, in the southern portions of its range, where the climate is typically warmer, sugar maple has a lower elevational limit of 3,000 feet and an upper limit of 5,500.

Life History

The leaves of sugar maple are usually fully expanded three to four weeks after the leaf buds begin to swell in the spring. The flowers emerge soon after the leaves and are in full bloom within a week. Normally, a single tree will produce both perfect (those containing both male and female parts) and imperfect (those containing either male or female parts) flowers. The ratio of male to female flowers is rarely less than ten to one and is usually about fifty to one. There is a noticeable localization of female flowers on certain areas of a tree crown.

The flowers are pollinated by bees. Fruits that result from flower pollination usually mature in about 10 to 12 weeks and become ripe in September or October. The double samara fruit is characteristic of sugar maple, but usually only one seed is viable. The samaras fall about two weeks after ripening, which is approximately the same time the tree suspends its annual height growth. Birds, squirrels, and other rodents usually consume only a negligible amount of the seeds.

The minimum seed-bearing age for sugar maple is about thirty years. After this age some seed is produced every year, but massive quantities of viable seed are produced cyclically, usually at two to five-year intervals depending on climatic conditions. During these good seed years, trees are loaded with flowers, which gives them a yellowish cast when seen from a distance. The seeds are relatively heavy (average clean weight of 6,100 seeds per pound), but the winged shape of the samaras provides for wide dispersal by wind and blowing over snow.

The large quantities of seed produced in good years normally result in many seedlings. Seeds usually germinate in the spring following their autumn dispersal. In addition, sugar maple has a strong tendency to sprout in response to fire, cutting, disease, or physiological disorders. Stump sprouts are an important means of vegetative (asexual) reproduction in many hardwood forest stands.  For example, the Ice Storm of January 1998 broke crowns from many sugar maple trees throughout the northeastern United States and Canada.  Some of these sugar maples will be able to resprout and ultimately regain their original vigor, but others will have been so badly damaged they will ultimately die.

 Products and Uses

Products derived from sugar maple trees are common in house holds throughout the country. The maple syrup and sugar industry is an important part of many agricultural economies in the Northeast. The earliest written accounts of maple sugaring were made in the early 1600s by European explorers who observed American Indians gathering maple sap. Today, sugar maple stands and roadside trees provide private landowners with an annual cash crop as well as a rewarding hobby (see the Cornell Maple Tour).

Sugar maple has long been valued as a hardwood timber species because of the wood's hardness and resistance to shock. In early America, the wood was used for a variety of household items, including rolling pins, scoops, apple grinders, and cheese presses. Today its uses include lumber for general construction, flooring, furniture, cabinet work, and woodenware. The high density of sugar maple wood makes it a popular fuel for home heating.

Sugar maple is a popular ornamental tree because of its tolerance to shade, spreading form, and brilliant autumn foliage. Of the large number of maples available for residential plantings, however, sugar maple is chosen less often than Norway maple, red maple, and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). Nonetheless, sugar maple has been widely planted in the eastern United States, especially as a roadside tree.

The cache is a tied in, camoed, "micro" pill bottle. The log is rolled with a rubber band around it and protected by a zip lock plastic bag. Please BYOP and put everything back as you found it, sealed and well camoed.