# Maple Tree Identification



## Martlet (Apr 20, 2015)

I'd like to tap my maple trees in the spring, but I have trouble telling maples from oaks without the leaves. Is there a surefire trick to this, or will I have to tag the maples before the leaves fall off? I'd rather not do this if I don't have to. The Mrs wouldn't be pleased with a property full of ribboned trees.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Oaks have more elongated leaves. The red oaks have points on the leaves. The white oaks have rounded leaves (lobes). If you use your imagination maple leaves are more in the shape of a hand or bird's foot. Get some tree paint and mark them before the leaves drop. M = maple, etc.


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## Martlet (Apr 20, 2015)

Darren said:


> Oaks have more elongated leaves. The red oaks have points on the leaves. The white oaks have rounded leaves (lobes). If you use your imagination maple leaves are more in the shape of a hand or bird's foot. Get some tree paint and mark them before the leaves drop. M = maple, etc.


Thanks. I can tell the difference with leaves. It's without I was having trouble. I'll mark them before the leaves fall.


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## Fennick (Apr 16, 2013)

This year mark all the maples now before all the leaves fall off. After 2 or 3 years you'll get to recognize by the bark which is maple and which is not.

You don't have to put ribbons on them, there's lots of alternative and quicker ways to mark trees. For example there's spray paint, colourful plastic tipped push pins, roofing tacks, coloured bamboo stakes in the ground or distinctive stones or bricks placed at the foot of each marked tree. 

If it was me I would just go around and mark each tree at eye level with a coloured plastic tipped push pin / thumb tack or a galvanized roofing tack pressed or pounded very firmly into the bark. When I use the variety packs of plastic tipped push pins I can colour code all my different trees with different coloured push pins.


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## Oldshep (Mar 28, 2015)

Everyone I know says mark them before the leaves fall off. Even experienced sugaring guys can have a hard time telling sometimes. I find that actual sugar maple, if its big enough, has gray bark that have plates that look like they are breaking away from the tree. Younger sugar maples are harder to differentiate. If you are also tapping black maples or other maples then it's going to be even harder.


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## osbmail (Mar 6, 2014)

Opposite branching Usally maple ash dogwood and horse chestnut have opposite branching one branch directly across from the other.People use MAD horse to remember this for indentifcation.Oaks have alternate branching.All kinds of maple can be tapped.Also walnuts and birch can make syrup.Sugar maples have the high amount of sugar in the sap.Walnut trees produce less sap per tree each year but have a pretty high sugar content,I think birch have a low sugar content.Hope that helps.


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## Martlet (Apr 20, 2015)

I appreciate the input. I now have a weekend project.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

No need to mark trees. You just need to learn to identify the bark of an oak and the bark of a maple. While the leaves are on, you can tell them apart. Now look at their bark. Learn the differences. After some time studying you can identify Ash, Elm, Soft Maple, Hard Maple, Oak, Beech, Basswood, White, Yellow and Black Birch.


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## Martlet (Apr 20, 2015)

haypoint said:


> No need to mark trees. You just need to learn to identify the bark of an oak and the bark of a maple. While the leaves are on, you can tell them apart. Now look at their bark. Learn the differences. After some time studying you can identify Ash, Elm, Soft Maple, Hard Maple, Oak, Beech, Basswood, White, Yellow and Black Birch.


Some of those I'm fine with. I just really have trouble with some types of maples and oaks. I suppose it will come with time.


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## osbmail (Mar 6, 2014)

Bark can vary with the age of the tree it is one way to helps ID trees you can also use branching,buds,leaves,fruits.I like said before if your just worried about telling a oak from a maple just Look at the branching.


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## osbmail (Mar 6, 2014)

This is an example of opposite branching and they usually maple,ash,dogwood or horse chestnut.Dogwood and horse chestnut would be hard to mistake for a Maple.Ash does look close to maple but most of them our dead in my area so it not to hard to find the maples.


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