Cold hardiness

Future

2050

2100

These values are location-based: this location's current hardiness is the baseline, and the 2050 value is a projected future climate for this same location.

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Published baseline for this location from 1991-2020.

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7a

Plotwright

Projected zone for this same location in 2050 (2041-2070) using SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry).

Well-suited

In plain terms: This location is in Zone 6b today. Its hardiness profile is cold winters, and coldest nights are typically around -3°F. By 2050, the projected hardiness zone is Zone 7a based on SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry). That is a +0.5-zone shift from Zone 6b to Zone 7a by 2050.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

Future

2050

2100

Heat tolerance values are location-based too: heat days today are observed at this site, and the 2050 value projects this same location under a future climate.

Loading AHS heat-zone data for this location...

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 40 ecoregions — 35 climate-resilient through 2070 · 5 suited today. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

›

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

›

Arizona Mountains forests

›

Blue Mountains forests

›

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

›

Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

›

Central Tallgrass prairie

›

Central-Southern Cascades Forests

›

Colorado Rockies forests

›

Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

›

What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun / Part shade

Water

Consistent moisture

Spacing

480"

Habit

Dense oval to rounded long-lived deciduous canopy tree with deep heavy shade

Care tips

•

Never plant sugar maple as a street tree — NC State is explicit that "compacted soil, high heat, air pollution, and road salt" are all failure modes; the species needs a forest-edge or large-lawn site.

•

Water through dry spells for the first 5-7 years; mature trees tolerate normal precipitation cycles but young trees scorch under drought stress.

•

For commercial syrup production, allow 40 years before tapping; modern tapping practice limits 1 tap per 12 inches of diameter at chest height to avoid tree decline.

Lifecycle

Planting

Plant in spring or fall in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. NC State explicitly warns sugar maple is "intolerant of compacted soil, high heat, air pollution, and road salt" — site away from streets, parking lots, and high-traffic landscapes.

Transplanting

Transplant at 5-15 gallon container or balled-and-burlapped sizes in early spring. Sugar maple roots resent disturbance more than red maple; minimize root pruning during transplant.

Early growth

Slow to medium growth; expect ~1 foot per year through the first decade. Water deeply through dry spells — NC State notes "leaf scorch may occur in drought conditions" and high heat is a documented failure mode. Mulch a wide ring.

Maturity

Mature trees reach 40-120 feet tall and 30-60 feet wide. Tappable for maple syrup around year 40 — "It takes about 32 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. It is the only tree commercially used today for syrup production" per NC State. Lifespan extends 200-300+ years in favorable sites.

Propagation

Seed germinates the following spring after winter stratification; samaras can be sown immediately in fall in protected ground. Named cultivars ('Bonfire', 'Morton/Crescendo') are propagated by grafting and offer improved heat and drought tolerance.

Pollination

Self-fertile

Polygamodioecious — mix of perfect, male, and female flowers on the same tree. Late-spring bloom (after the early red maple bloom and before most canopy hardwoods) attracts butterflies and other pollinating insects per NC State; wind pollination is probably the primary fertilization mechanism.

Plants don't grow alone

Larval host

Moth

Io moth (Automeris io)

Acer (maple) is a documented Io moth host per UF/IFAS; sugar maple is Acer saccharum (genus-level inference).

Larval host

Moth

Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia)

Larval host

Moth

Polyphemus moth (Antheraea polyphemus)

Larval host

Moth

Imperial moth (Eacles imperialis)

NC State: "Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south."

Nectar forage

Butterfly

Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

NC State notes the flowers attract butterflies; sugar maple's late-spring bloom timing fits the first eastern tiger swallowtail brood.

Seed forage

Bird

Eastern songbirds (multi-species) (multiple species (Passeriformes))

Samaras feed birds and small mammals; cavities in mature trees host nesting birds. Deer and moose browse foliage in northern forests; porcupines feed on the bark.

For people

Edible

Sugar maple sap is the source of commercial maple syrup — NC State documents this as the canonical species: "the tree can be tapped for syrup when it is about 40 years old. It takes about 32 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. It is the only tree commercially used today for syrup production." Trees should be at least 10 inches in diameter at chest height before tapping; mature trees can support 1-3 tap holes annually without harm.

Edible parts

sap

Culinary use

Sap is boiled down to produce maple syrup (~40:1 reduction ratio in early-season sap, ~32:1 in late-season). The syrup is the source of all commercial maple syrup, maple sugar, and maple candy products. No part of the leaves, bark, or seeds is conventionally edible.

Native range

Native across 34 US states + 5 CA provinces.

AHS heat range

1-9

Native ecoregions

Naturally belongs in 19 ecoregions — its native range crosses a state or province each one spans (not necessarily this exact habitat).

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

›

Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

›

Atlantic coastal pine barrens

›

Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

›

Central Tallgrass prairie

›

Cross-Timbers savanna-woodland

›

Eastern Canadian Forest-Boreal transition

›

Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests

›

Flint Hills tallgrass prairie

›

Gulf of St. Lawrence lowland forests

›

Climate notes

•

NC State Extension lists Acer saccharum for USDA hardiness zones 3a-8b across eastern and central North America. In NC, native to mountains and sporadically in the Piedmont; struggles in the hot humid coastal plain.

•

NC State explicitly warns "intolerant of compacted soil, high heat, air pollution, and road salt." Site away from streets, parking lots, and reflective surfaces; sugar maple is the canonical "wrong tree for the wrong place" example when planted in stressful urban contexts.

•

No serious insect or disease problems per NC State; aphids, borers, scale, verticillium wilt, anthracnose, cankers, leaf spots, and tar spot can affect already-stressed trees. The Asian longhorned beetle is a serious emerging threat in some regions.

In the designer

Growth over time

480-1440" tall · 360-720" spread

Mature dense canopy; tappable for syrup at around year 40. Lifespan 200-300 years in optimal sites.

Design roles: Focal point · Structure

Seasonal interest

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Filled = the plant has seasonal interest · ▾ now = your current season

Sugar maple

At a glance

Related products

Why it matters

Cold hardiness

Heat tolerance

Where this plant fits

What it needs

Lifecycle

Pollination

Plants don't grow alone

For people

Native range

Climate notes

In the designer

Seasonal interest

Sources & citations