Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)

Beautiful hardwood tree that is native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia west to Ontario and south to Texas and Georgia. Famous for the syrup made from it's sap and it's gorgeous red fall color. Also is milled into a durable lumber that is used for funiture, flooring, bowling alleys, and is the official wood for NBA basketball courts. Fairly fast growing it is popular as a yard and street tree and can tolerate quite a bit of shade when young. Can grow over100 feet when mature. Commonly tapped for it's sweet sap which is boiled down to concentrate it into maple syrup. Hardy zones 4-8.