Acer nigrum (
Black Maple) is a species of
mapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
closely related to
A. saccharum (Sugar Maple), and treated as a
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
of it by some authors, as
Acer saccharum subsp.
nigrum (F.Michx.) Desmarais.
Identification can be confusing due to the tendency of the two species to form hybrids. The simplest and most accurate method for distinguishing between the two trees is the three-lobed leaves of the Black Maple versus the five-lobed leaves of the Sugar Maple.
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Acer nigrum (
Black Maple) is a species of
mapleAcer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as Maple. Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification, favour inclusion in Sapindaceae...
closely related to
A. saccharum (Sugar Maple), and treated as a
subspeciesSubspecies in biological classification, is 1) a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, or 2) a taxonomic unit, a taxon in that rank...
of it by some authors, as
Acer saccharum subsp.
nigrum (F.Michx.) Desmarais.
Identification can be confusing due to the tendency of the two species to form hybrids. The simplest and most accurate method for distinguishing between the two trees is the three-lobed leaves of the Black Maple versus the five-lobed leaves of the Sugar Maple. The leaves of the Black Maple also tend to have a "droopy" appearance. Other differences that are not as pronounced include darker, more deeply grooved bark, slightly smaller seeds, and thicker
petiolesIn botany, the petiole is the small stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly...
.
The geographic range of
A. nigrum is slightly more limited than the Sugar Maple, encompassing much of the
Midwestern United StatesThe Midwestern United States is one of the four geographic regions within the United States of America that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau....
, portions of the
northeastern United StatesThe Northeastern United States is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: the New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut; and the...
, and the extreme southeast of
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in southern
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
.
The leaves are considered delicious by the natives in some regions.
This species is used similarly to the
A. saccharum, for timber and for
maple syrupMaple syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of some maple trees. In cold climate areas, these trees store sugar in their roots before the winter and the sap which rises in the spring can be tapped and concentrated. Quebec, Canada, produces most of the world's supply of maple syrup...
production.