General: Bark smooth, never furrowed, bluish gray throughout life, with dark blotches when older. A large tree. Most numerous in the northern part of the State. Wood used mainly for railroad ties, paper pulp, boxes, furniture and flooring.
SUGAR MAPLE
(Acer saccharum)
Leaves: Simple, opposite, 5-lobed, about 4″ in diameter; smooth, bright green, paler below; margin with few large teeth.
Twigs: Reddish brown to light brown. Buds brown, sharp-pointed; narrowly cone-shaped.
Fruit: Consists of 2 winged seeds on a stalk; borne in clusters, brown, seed wings ½″ to 1″ long, almost parallel to each other; matures in autumn. Fruit stalks and sometimes the seeds persist into the winter.
General: Bark grayish, on older trunks ridged or with long, thick, curled plates. A large, long-lived, desirable timber and shade tree. Wood used for furniture, flooring; “tapped for sap for making maple syrup.” Often called hard maple.
RED MAPLE
(Acer rubrum)
Leaves: Simple, opposite, generally 3-lobed; about 4″ in diameter; margin with many small teeth.