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''Acer nigrum'', the black maple, is a species of
The black maple's mature height ranges from 21 to 34 meters (70 to 110 feet).
Winter ID pictures
Interactive Distribution Map of ''Acer nigrum''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q9578380 nigrum Trees of Eastern Canada Trees of Ontario Trees of Quebec Trees of the Great Lakes region (North America) Trees of the North-Central United States Trees of the Northeastern United States Trees of the Southeastern United States Trees of the United States
maple
''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since h ...
closely related to '' A. saccharum'' (sugar maple), and treated by some authors as a subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics ( morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all specie ...
of it, as ''Acer saccharum'' subsp. ''nigrum''.
Identification can be confusing due to the tendency of the two species to form hybrids. The simplest and most accurate method for distinguishing between the two trees is the generally three-lobed leaves of the black maple versus the generally five-lobed leaves of the sugar maple. The leaves of the black maple also tend to have a drooping appearance. Other differences that are not as pronounced include darker, more deeply grooved bark, slightly smaller seeds, a downy underside, and thicker petioles. Hybrids are intermediate in their characteristics.
Distribution
The geographic range of ''A. nigrum'' is slightly more limited than the sugar maple, encompassing much of theMidwestern United States
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
, portions of the Eastern United States, and the southeast of Canada in southern Ontario.
Description
The black maple's mature height ranges from 21 to 34 meters (70 to 110 feet).
Uses
This species is used similarly to the ''A. saccharum'', for timber as hard maple, for landscaping, and formaple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Maple tr ...
production.
See also
* List of foods made from mapleReferences
External links
Winter ID pictures
Interactive Distribution Map of ''Acer nigrum''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q9578380 nigrum Trees of Eastern Canada Trees of Ontario Trees of Quebec Trees of the Great Lakes region (North America) Trees of the North-Central United States Trees of the Northeastern United States Trees of the Southeastern United States Trees of the United States