History: Sugar Maples, native to much of southern Canada and the northern and central United States, hardly need an introduction considering they are such an important part of Canadian culture. Ecologically, they form significant portions of the forests in their native range. They are used for their wood and at one point were fairly commonly planted in urban areas, although they do not tolerate pollution well and the hardier Norway Maple is often planted instead. Most famously, Sugar Maples are the tree primarily used for producing maple syrup! Tapping the trees and boiling down the sap was a technique European colonizers learned from indigenous peoples who often made it into maple sugar for ease of transport. Today, of course, maple syrup remains one of Canada's proudest products.
Why We Grow It: The mighty maple! Slow-growing but stately, these trees are highly regarded for their production of sap for maple syrup. We also enjoy a spring tonic of pure sap boiled with Hemlock for 5-10 minutes for a wonderful sweet forest-flavoured tea. Hard maples also make great lumber and firewood.
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 3
Soil Preference: Prefers rich loam
Growth Habits and Disease Resistance: Tree reaches 25-25m tall on average but can grow up to 45m, slow growing. Sensitive to pollution and can be susceptible to defoliation by various caterpillars.
Sun/Shade: Full sun to partial shade (approx. 4-10 hours of sun daily)
Flowering Time: Spring
Bloom Colour: Green
Ripens: February to March for sap
Storage:Maple syrup keeps up to two years in the fridge once opened, otherwise lasts indefinitely
