# Need help tracking down some sugar maples



## ds207 (Feb 23, 2014)

Honestly I'm a bit ashamed that I live in Maine and have such poor tree/plant identification skills. I'm hoping to find some sugar maples on my new property so I can make some syrup this year. My problem is that there are no leaves to aid in my identification. Maybe some of you will be able to help. I *think* this is a maple. It has opposing branches and there was a dead maple leaf under the snow nearby. Is it possible to determine if this is a maple, or even better, a sugar maple just by the bark?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

If it were my tree and I was guessing by what I see, I'd say yes, it is one.. 

I gotta wonder though, what stripped the bark off the tree in the background? Or is that a standing dead?


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## ds207 (Feb 23, 2014)

simi-steading said:


> If it were my tree and I was guessing by what I see, I'd say yes, it is one..
> 
> I gotta wonder though, what stripped the bark off the tree in the background? Or is that a standing dead?


Good to hear! As for the damage, I'm not positive. I'll have to go back and investigate. The porcupines are known to be quite the tree shredders around here.


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## northeastcallin (Mar 11, 2013)

It is possible to ID just from the bark. Hard to say if a sugar maple as the ones I see down here in CT are more tan. Can you post a pic of the trunk where it meets the ground. Sugar maples tend to have a more tannish base/roots whereas red maples tend to be more grey. Also, sugar maple buds look like ice cream cones, while red maple buds are rounded.


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## northeastcallin (Mar 11, 2013)

If that was down here in ct I would say its a red maple.

Also, how far north in maine?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Yes, red maple or soft maple. Not hard maple or sugar maple. I've lots of sugar maple, so don't know if you can get sweet sap from soft maple.


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## dcross (Aug 12, 2005)

You can make syrup from a soft maple, more water to boil off than a sugar maple would have.


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## dizzy (Jun 25, 2013)

I'd say red maple as well.


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