NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

saccharum

Northern Sugar Maple, Hard Maple, Sugar Tree

Perennial

Sapindaceae (Soapberry Family)

^(*Key)

36-72 ft., 72-100 ft.

Yellow, Green

Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day

Dry, Moist

April, May, June

Mountains, Piedmont

Cove forests, other rich forests, especially over mafic and calcareous rocks, on calcareous soils common and typical in dry-mesic forests and dry woodlands as well, less typically extending to high elevation northern hardwood forests where sometimes in acidic situations (as in Highlands County, VA), in parts of the Piedmont perhaps more common as an introduction by ornamental planting than as a native, at least south of VA. Rare in NC mountains and piedmont.

Opposite

Deciduous

Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like

Simple

Perennial

Important for Wildlife

Suitable for home landscapes

S5: Secure ^(*Key)

G5 - Secure ^(*Key)

Less heat-tolerant than Southern Sugar Maple (Acer floridanum).

A cultivated specimen at Colonial Williamsburg, VA

Larry Mellichamp

USDA PLANTS Database Record

NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acer-saccharum/

Go Botany: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/acer/saccharum/

Vascular Flora of NC: https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/plant_list.php [type Acer saccharum in the Scientific Name box, then click on the Search button]

700 Bird-friendly Plants for NC: https://nc.audubon.org/700