Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple
The sweetest of all maples is the Sugar Maple, naturally. Its sap contains more sugar than any other kind of tree sap, making it the most conducive to boiling down into syrup. Generally speaking, forty gallons of sap are needed to produce one gallon of maple syrup. As young trees, Sugar Maples have smooth bark but as they age their bark becomes gnarlier and more varied. Often on the Mountain Top, we find Sugar Maple bark covered with bright green mosses and various lichens, neither of which is harmful to trees. In the early spring, Sugar Maples bloom with a cascade of light greenish-yellow flowers. In the fall they are cherished for their bright red and orange foliage.