sugar maple
Acer saccharum
RHS Plants for Pollinators; MBG Plant of Merit 2010
USDA zones3 to 8
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size40 to 80 feet tall30 to 60 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Greenish
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a tree for specimen planting, shade gardens, and woodland settings. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to moist soil of most types. Its brilliant red, yellow, and orange fall color stands out in the landscape. Deer usually look elsewhere for a meal. The dense shade and shallow roots may keep grass from growing under it.
Pairs well with Northern red oak, Cinnamon fern, and Eastern columbine.
Native range
North America, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and 3 more places. See all 7
North America, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Prince Edward I., Québec, and Rhode I..