Our Local Ecology The Land - Tree IdentificationMaple Trees Mountain Maple - Acer spicatum (Lam.)Other Common Names: White Maple and Dwarf Maple. The Mountain Maple, a small bushy tree or shrub rarely more than 25 feet in height or more than 3 inches in diameter, is found in P.E.I. mainly along small streams. It is the smallest of our eastern maples. The trunk is usually short and irregular, composed of slender, brittle, upright branches. It prefers rich soils along small streams. It seems to require a certain amount of shade for it is seldom found in the open except on recently cut-over woodlands. The distinguishing characteristics are its slightly stalked, somewhat downy buds, coarse-toothed, mostly 3-lobed leaves and the showy clusters of yellowish flowers which are borne on an erect spike-like stem. The wood is of no commercial importance. The tree serves a useful purpose in preventing erosion on rocky slopes. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Opposite, usually 3-lobed with shallow v-shaped notches, sharp-pointed, coarse-toothed, 4 to 5 inches long; yellowish-green above, paler more or less hairy below. FLOWERS: June, after the leaves; unisexual; yellow; the male at the top, the female at the bottom of a long, many flowered upright stem. FRUIT: September; a pair of brown (red or yellow during summer) terminally winged samaras, about 3/4 of an inch long with diverging wings; falling at maturity. TWIGS: Slender, more or less downy, red. Terminal bud about 1/8 0f an inch long, bright red, slightly downy, and stalked; laterals similar. BARK: Thin, reddish to greyish-brown, smooth or slightly furrowed. WOOD: Light, soft, weak, fine-grained, diffuse-porous; light brown with paler sapwood.
Red Maple - Acer rubrum (L.)Other Common Names: Soft Maple, Scarlet Maple, Swamp Maple, White Maple and Water Maple. Red Maple is common throughout the province. It does attain a height of 70 feet and a diameter of 2 to 3 feet on deep moist soils but more rarely it is much smaller. The trunk is long and straight in the forest, short and commonly divided into secondary stems in the open. The main branches are ascending, the smaller branches and twigs spread out and tend to turn up slightly at the ends. It is mostly found on rich moist lands and along the borders of streams and swamps. It is found in pure stands but more often in mixtures of other hardwoods and softwoods. The red twigs, winter buds, flowers and fruits, stems of leaves, and in autumn the leaves themselves tend to give the tree its name. The wood, although not an important commercial timber, is similar to sugar maple and is used for the same purposes, furniture, veneer, plywood and vehicle stock. The tree is often planted as an ornamental. This leaf from this tree provided the pattern for Canada's flag. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Opposite, simple, 3-to 5 lobed with V-shaped notches, sharp-pointed, coarse double-toothed, 2 to 6 inches long; light green above, paler below. FLOWERS: April-May, before the leaves; unisexual and bi-sexual; in small red (rarely yellowish) clusters, with petals. FRUIT: May-June; a pair of red to red-brown, rarely yellowish, terminally winged samaras, 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long, the wings diverging slightly; falling at maturity. TWIGS: Slender, smooth, shiny dark red. Terminal bud dark red, blunt; about 1/5 of an inch long; lateral buds similar BARK: Smooth, light grey or reddish-brown at first; becoming dark grey and breaking into long, narrow, scaly plates. WOOD: Heavy, relatively hard, not strong, fine textured, diffuse~porous, light brown with white sapwood. Videos
Striped Maple - Acer pensylvanicum (L.)Other Common Names: Moosewood and Moose Maple. Striped Maple is generally confined to the hardwood areas of the province. In general it is a tall shrub or a small tree but in one known area around Charlottetown it reaches a height of 40 to 50 feet with a diameter of around 10 inches. Generally the trunk is short, dividing a few feet from the ground into several straight, mostly upright limbs, which form a broad deep crown. It prefers cool moist soils and where it is protected from the direct rays of the sun. Very often it forms the shrubby under story beneath mixed stands of red spruce, eastern hemlock, yellow birch, beech and sugar maple. The distinguishing characteristic is its smooth green bark, vertically streaked with white, where the bark has split open. Like the mountain maple, the wood has no commercial importance. Deer and moose feed upon the buds and leaves. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Opposite, simple, 3-lobed with shallow notches, sharp-pointed, fine-toothed, 4 to 6 inches long, thin, pale green above, paler below. FLOWERS: May-June, after the leaves; mostly unisexual; in long drooping yellow clusters, male and female usually on separate trees. FRUIT: August-September; a pair of greenish, terminally winged samaras, about 1 inch long, the wings spreading at a very wide angle and the seed cavity pitted on one side. TWIGS: Moderately stout smooth, reddish brown or greenish. Terminal bud about 1/2 inch long, covered by 2 bright red scales, appearing stalked; lateral buds similar. BARK: Thin, smooth, green or reddish-brown, market with conspicuous white stripes. WOOD: Light, soft, weak, straight-grained, diffuse-porous; light brown with paler sapwood.
 | Sugar Maple - Acer saccharum (Marsh.) |
Other Common Names:
Hard Maple, Rock Maple, Black Maple, Curly Maple, Bird's Eye Maple.Sugar Maple is found throughout Prince Edward Island in the hardwood areas. It is a tall tree averaging 70 to 80 feet in height and a diameter of up to 2 feet. The trunk is usually straight in the forest, short and branched in the open. The compact and regular crown is composed of slender, mostly ascending branches. It requires a moist rich, well-drained soil for its best development. It occurs in pure stands also in mixtures of red spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, beech, yellow birch, oak and red maple. It is one of our most conspicuous hardwoods in autumn, the leaves turning brilliant shades of deep red, scarlet, golden orange and bright yellow. The wood is one of the most valuable hardwoods in Canada. It is used for furniture, veneer, plywood and vehicle stock. Maple syrup and maple sugar is made from its sap. DESCRIPTION LEAVES: Opposite, simple, 3 to 5 lobed with rounded notches, sharp-pointed, coarse and irregular-toothed or entire, 3 to 5 inches long; dark green above, paler below. FLOWERS: May, with the leaves; unisexual and bisexual; in small, greenish-yellow clusters. FRUIT: Autumn; a pair of reddish-brown, terminally, winged samaras, 3/4 to 11/4 inches long, U-shaped, with slightly diverging wings, the seed smooth, about 1/4 of an inch long; falling after maturity. TWIGS: Slender, shiny, reddish brown. Terminal bud sharp-pointed, 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch long, with brown hairy scales; lateral buds similar. BARK: On young stems, grey, smooth., or slightly furrowed on old trunks, fissured, somewhat scaly. WOOD: Heavy, hard, strong, fine-textured, diffuse-porous, pale brown with paler sapwood. The Sugar Maple is the national tree of Canada. |
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