Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Legacy sugar maple
Acer saccharum
Sugar maple leaf: five main lobes with broad, rounded spaces between them. Species reference; this photograph does not establish the Legacy cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeSuperior National Forest ↗ · CC BY 2.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Excellent WNC shade tree in deep, cool, well-drained soil; avoid heat-reflective compacted sites.
The gaps between principal lobes are broadly U-shaped. Edges have fewer teeth than typical red maple leaves.
More growing details
Read the bark
Older bark develops long irregular plates and deep furrows.
Fruit & seed
Paired samaras mature in autumn; timing supports the leaf characters.
Winter character
Pointed brown buds occur opposite each other on the twig.
Origin & place
The species occurs naturally in the southern Appalachian region; a planted specimen is not evidence of wild local origin.
Compare with Red maple
Red maple has toothed lobes, sharper V-shaped gaps, and usually spring-ripening samaras.
WNC Notes
Excellent WNC shade tree in deep, cool, well-drained soil; avoid heat-reflective compacted sites.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
40–60
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
30–50
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Greenish yellow
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Orange-red
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate
Drought Tolerance
Moderate
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
Sugar maple leaf: five main lobes with broad, rounded spaces between them. Species reference; this photograph does not establish the Legacy cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeSuperior National Forest ↗ · CC BY 2.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.Base of trunk and bark — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeDerek Ramsey ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
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