Buds: Pointed, dark brown, finely hairy, up to one-fourth inch long.
Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6 inches long and nearly as broad, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, drooping on the sides, the edges of the leaves sparsely and coarsely toothed, green and smooth on the upper surface, yellow-green and smooth or hairy on the veins on the lower surface; leafstalks up to 5 inches long, smooth or hairy. The leaves turn yellow in the autumn.
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense clusters, yellowish, appearing as the leaves unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of a wing with a seed at the base, reddish-brown to greenish, up to 1 inch long.
Wood: Heavy, strong, coarse-grained, brown.
Uses: Furniture, cabinets.
Habitat: Rich woodlands.
Range: New Hampshire across to Minnesota and South Dakota, south to Louisiana, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Black Maple is distinguished from the Sugar Maple by its drooping leaves. It differs from the Southern Sugar Maple, which also has drooping leaves, by its larger, thinner leaves.
