American Grove
Maple Trees
There are many varieties of maple trees. Silver and Red maple trees are two of the most common. Many prefer Maples for their color. Did you know they are also great trees to plant on the on the south and west sides of your house for energy conservation. During summer, their leaves block the sun and provide shade, yet during winter months the sun passes through the leafless canopy. They also the perfect size in that many maples are typically a medium to large sized tree.
Maple trees are very common in the United States. They grow mostly in the North Temperate Zone. Maple trees will vary in size by species, some reaching only fifteen to twenty feet, while other can grow to seventy feet or more in height. Maples are deciduous trees, and propagate by seeds, which have wings. The seeds fall, spinning toward the ground like a helicopter.
For a great resource on Maple Trees to help you make the right choice or just learn more, go here.
Photo by Kellie McClellan
Comment
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Comment by Administrator on August 7, 2012 at 10:22am -
"Red maples are also unique for another reason-something botanists call the 'red maple paradox.' The paradox is that red maple trees are increasing in abundance across the eastern part of North America and no one knows exactly why. Early land surveys recorded red maples as a minor component of the forest, typically less than 5 percent of the trees. In those same areas today, red maples are a dominant tree in the forest. Marc Abrams, who has studied this paradox, says that red maple is now one of the most widespread and abundant tree species in the eastern United States."
Joan Maloof, Teaching the Trees
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Comment by John S. Springer on July 19, 2012 at 7:21am
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The Maple Tree is considered to be the King of the Forest in many cultures. According to my birth day and the Druid Calendar, I am a Maple Tree. It is one of my favorite trees, especially the Silver Maple, having grown up with this species in Indiana. Here in Florida it is one of the first trees to bloom by showing a red hue along the edges of waterways as the Red Maple and the Swamp Red Maple show their colors. Everything on the Red Maple has an aspect of red with red flowers, red seeds, red stems and even a reddness in their fall color. Make friends with a Maple Tree.
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Comment by Karen A Garner on July 10, 2012 at 9:11pm
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Maples are definitely not good lawn trees to plant here in the south. Their roots crawl all along the ground making it hard to mow. Silver maples are the worst. My neighbor ended up cutting his down because of the damage from the roots and the helicoptors, while cute, are real cloggers of the gutters.
I am forever pulling up baby maples from my flower beds from a maple tree at the far back of our property. Good forest trees though.
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Comment by Laura Wagner on July 9, 2012 at 10:34am -
I do love maples as well, but they are extremely over-represented in our (Iowa's) urban tree canopies, making up to 50% of our urban forests. We really try to diversify, by asking that communities have no more than 10% per species, and 20% per genus represented. Even this might be high percentage, should ALB wipe out all the maple - we would hate to lose 20% of our tree canopy. Some good Maple alternatives are Blackgum and Sweetgum for fall color (to zone 5 only). Red Oak, Scarlet Oak, and Pin Oak have great Red fall color as well.
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