The most magnificent display of color in all of the kingdom of plants is the autumnal foliage of the trees of North America. Over them all .......rise the colors of one tree, the Sugar Maple. A Natural History of Trees by Donald C. Peattie

Around this time of year we really appreciate the Sugar Maple because of the fall color. New posters confuse this tree with Norway Maple. The introduction of Norway Maple to colonial America is credited to one of my all time heroes, John Bartram in 1756. It took quite a while but I have come to forgive him for this :)

Brilliant colors of SM can be had especially if foliage is exposed to the sun. Wings of seed not as large or broad spreading as NM. A broken leaf vein or seed releases white sap from NM during the growing season.Notice the sharply pointed & conical buds of SM. NM buds are broad and blunt tipped. SM bark of older trees develops long, gray plates. NM bark is more closely ridged & furrowed with age. These are good traits to use for winter ID.

Observe the trees repeatedly and throughout the year and you can pick out the differences from a distance. One positive for NM, it makes great firewood.