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Is this a Sugar Maple?

21 years ago

Hi all,

I am a total novice with a lot of interest and too little knowledge, so can anyone tell me if the seedling I have just dug up from my front yard and potted is really a sugar maple? My wife swears it's just a weed, but the overall shape of the leaf likes like a SM to me. You can see images I took of the leaves at these photo links...

http://host.jwcinc.net/1245568/maple1.jpg

http://host.jwcinc.net/1245568/maple2.jpg

Thanks for any replies!

Paul

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Comments (3)

saccharum
21 years ago
Nope, not a maple. Looks familiar, but I'm not sure what it is.
Ron_B
21 years ago
If a link is posted here somebody who is able to recognize your tree is more likely to comment.
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Meiji
21 years ago
When looking at a bit of greenery, the first thing I look for to DISQUALIFY it as a maple is alternate leaf arrangement. All maples, from the compound-leaved A. negundo to the hawthorn-like A. carpinifolium to the more familiar "classic" maples like A, saccharum have opposite leaf arrangement.

That being said, I believe there are one or two cultivars from witch's broom that are so deformed that they don't follow this rule. But it holds true for the THOUSANDS of other varieties spawned from the 125 (or so) recognized maple species.

Here is a link that might be useful:

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