Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) state tree of New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin & Vermont

Sugar maples are among the best known trees in the eastern United States because of their handsome appearance and distinctive leaf shape. The sugar maple is economically important as the source of maple syrup. The sap is harvested (tapped) in early spring, and boiled down to form pure maple syrup. Chosen as the state tree for four US states, this maple is perhaps best recognized as the leaf on the flag of Canada, designated in the mid-1960s. Although widely associated with Canada, sugar maples do not naturally grow far north or west in Canada. They grow from southeast Canada through New England and the Midwestern United States, south to Tennessee and Virginia. They are found typically in deep, rich, well-drained soils. Often planted as ornamental and shade trees, they are prized for their fall colors of brilliant yellow, orange, and sometimes red. The hard wood is used to make furniture, veneer, cabinets, and many other items.

Look for: medium-sized tree with opposite branches; distinctive leaf, as on the Canadian flag, with approximately five major lobes; small dangling pale yellow flowers in early spring before the leaves emerge; winged seeds that spin as they fall.