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How to Identify Maple Trees

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 10:30:25 GMT

Maple trees are a species of deciduous tree and shrub plants commonly found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. With more than 100 varieties native to regions ranging from Norway to Indonesia, maple trees have laid their roots in cultures the world over. And each species has their own requirements for optimal care.

How Many Types of Maple Trees are there?

There are an estimated 132 unique species of maple tree globally. Most of them are native to Asia, with several more found in Europe. Only the Indonesian Maple is known to grow native to the southern hemisphere.

With so many varieties, a detailed list would be exhaustive and confusing to read. So we’ll narrow our focus to the ones popular in Long Island.

Most Commonly Found Maple Trees in Long Island

Of the 100 plus varieties found globally, several are able to grow in Long Island. And of these trees, one species is native to Long island.

The Red Maple grows 30 to 90 feet tall and its trunk may be up to 4 feet wide when it matures. Leaves generally have a rough, sawtooth-like edge, 3 major lobes and sometimes 2 minor ones near the base with v-shaped notches. They are green with small hairs on their underside.

Sugar maple grows 50-70 feet tall and its shape is generally round. Leaves have 3 squared primary lobes with rounded sinuses. Flowers are small, greenish-yellow with 5 petals. If you like sweets the Sugar maple’s sap can be boiled to make maple syrup.

The Silver Maple grows between 65-80 feet tall with light grey bark often with more than one trunk. Its leaves are serrated with deep notches between the lobes, green on top and silver-white beneath.

Japanese Maple grows to about 30 ft. and have a dome-shaped canopy. Its leaves have 5 to 9 serrated palmate lobes that can grow to 5 inches long. Younger Japanese maple trees have a smooth grey bark which develops deep furrows as it ages.

Paperbark maple grows between 20-30 feet and has smooth, rounded leaves. With its rounded shape and distinctive bark, this tree makes a wonderful centerpiece for gardens.

Norwegian maple grows between 60-100ft tall and has brownish-grey bark which furrows as it ages. Its five-lobed leaves have some serrations, but are generally smoother than those of red maple cultivars.

What do Maple Trees look like during Winter

There are many types of maple leaves, making it fairly easy to identify the type of tree while it still has them. Maple trees are deciduous though, meaning they shed their leaves during autumn and are bare in the winter, making them harder to tell apart. But there are some ways you can spot them even then. We will discuss it briefly here, but if you want to learn more you can check out our article about Identifying Maples in the winter.

When looking at a bare tree the quickest way to identify it is by its branches. Are they alternating, regular, or opposite each other? Do these branches reach downward, outward, or upward? How long are they? For example the Red Maple we mentioned earlier branches out on opposite sides, and they reach upward once they are far enough out from the trunk.

If you have the opportunity to look closer at the tree, you will also still be able to identify it from its bark. Most younger maples have a smooth grey bark and may be difficult to differentiate until they mature. But as maples age you will notice differences between each species’ bark.

Taking care of a Maple Tree

The most important reason to determine which tree you have is to make sure that you are caring for it with the best knowledge available. Because the sunlight, acidity and nutrition requirements for each species varies. Not knowing these differences may lead to your tree not getting the care it needs.

At Tree Service Huntington, we provide Expert Tree Care. Whether it’s trimming, pruning, feeding or removing, we’re here for you. We have the knowledge and tools to give your trees the proper care. Give us a call today at 631-546-0553.

Tree Service Huntington. Expert Tree Care, that’s our thing.

5 ways to Identify Maple Trees in Winter

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 08:44:06 GMT

One of the quickest ways to identify maple trees is by looking at their leaves. But in winter maple tree identification becomes a little more challenging. Without their distinctive leaves, we have to rely on other ways to tell them apart. But why do maples shed in the first place?

The Maple Tree’s condition during the coldest season on Earth

Being deciduous, maples shed their leaves in late fall and are bare throughout winter. At this time they do not produce fruit or flowers.

During winter maple trees are essentially hibernating, conserving their energy and the nutrients they have by going into a low energy state. At this time they have no need for their leaves as days are shorter and they would be more susceptible to broken branches if they allow their leaves to collect snow.

5 Ways to Identify Maple Trees on Winter

So, how else are we supposed to differentiate our trees during the cold months? Here’s five other ways you can tell the difference. As an example, let’s discuss identifying sugar maple trees in winter.

Height

The most accessible way to tell the difference is by checking their height, since you don’t need to get up close. Maple tree varieties grow to different heights, Sugar maple may grow from 50-70 feet tall when it fully matures.
Other species range higher or lower, such as 100 feet for Norwegian maple or 30 feet for Japanese maple.

Branches

Check out the branches of the tree. How they are arranged, which way they reach, where they bend. This is also easy to do from a distance. Sugar maple branches grow out in pairs opposite of each other and reach outward from the tree. Once they’re out far enough they bend upwards.

Trunk

Have a look at the tree trunk. It’s shape and width can also be determined without having to approach the tree, and some varieties will have more than one trunk. Mature Sugar maple trees have a single trunk with a diameter of 3 feet. Now, let’s get closer to the tree.

Bark

If you’re able to get close to the tree you can examine its bark. The color and texture of a tree’s bark can vary as it ages, and most younger maples will have a fairly smooth bark. A mature Sugar Maple will have rougher, thicker bark with deep grooves and furrows and will be greyish-brown in color.

On another part of the spectrum the Paperbark maple will have thin, smooth flakes which range in color from pink through red and into orange.

Twigs

Finally, inspect the twigs where the leaves’ buds are. Some trees, like the Red maple for example, are defined by the color of their twigs and buds. For the Sugar maple, they are smooth, reddish-brown and gradient into light brown. The buds are small and sharp, with scales numbering from 6-10.

We’re here to help!

Winter is also the best time to prune maple trees because they don’t have as much sap and it’s easier to see the branches. But winter tree care has a different set of challenges from working during the warmer months. The ground is always wet, it’s cold, and it will be difficult to grip a chainsaw because your hands are numb despite being covered in really thick gloves. Why not leave it to our experts to handle that tree for you?

At Tree Service Huntington we provide expert tree care year-round. Give us a call today at 631-546-0553 to schedule your appointment with our experts.

Expert tree care. At Tree Service Huntington, that’s our thing.