What's in Bloom?

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OCTOBER

Acer saccharum - Sugar maple
Sugar maple, or Acer saccharum, has brilliant fall foliage. Although maples have only inconspicuous greenish flowers in spring, few trees can rival the visual impact of a sunlit sugar maple in fall. This large tree is a significant component of forests in cool moist regions, and it has economic as well as aesthetic value. Sugar maple is an important source of wood products and, as the name suggests, it is also the principal source of maple sugar. Each year in late February/early March, we tap a live tree at the Preserve to demonstrate the process of maple sugaring for the public. Specimens of sugar maples can be found at the Preserve near the Visitor Center and in Penn's Woods. While sugar maple is a very desirable tree, its European relative, Norway maple, is an invasive plant in our region. With so many excellent native trees from which to choose, the use of Norway maples is not recommended.