Sugar maple

This medium to large tree can reach heights of up to 35 metres. It is the emblem of the Canada and a stylized version of it leave can be found on the flag of the country.

The leaves of the sugar maple grow opposite each other along the branches. They are glabrous—meaning hairless—and divided into 3 to 5 lobes with rounded sinuses. The leaf blade measures between 8 and 15 cm in length.

Young twigs are smooth and brown. The flowers are yellow and lack petals.

Each fruit, called a samara, consists of a seed surrounded by a wing and measures between 1 and 3 cm in length. The fruits grow in pairs, with their wings set nearly parallel to each other, forming a “U” shape.

The dark grey bark becomes fissured and scaly as the tree ages.