How to Identify Maple Trees in the Winter

Maple trees are used most often for landscaping. They grow tall and offer plenty of shade from the sun. Some of the most common types of maple trees are sugar, red, Norway, black, and silver. Maple tree leaves change color during the fall to bright colors such as yellow, red and orange. After the leaves have fallen, it can be more difficult to identify a maple tree.

Instructions

1. Analyze the shape of the buds on the maple tree. Buds are noticeable during the winter and vary from round to egg-shaped. Black maple trees have egg-shaped buds. Silver maple trees have round buds. Red maple has oblong buds and silver maple has clusters of buds with blunt points.

2. Examine the bark of maple trees during the winter. Norway maple has grayish black bark with narrow ridges shaped like diamonds. Red maple bark is light gray and smooth textured. Sugar maple has bark that is dark grey with vertical smooth ridges.

3. Look at the color of the twigs of maple trees during the winter. Branches to many of the maple trees such as sugar, red, and Norway maples are reddish brown in color. Silver maple branches turn red during winter.

Tips & Warnings

• Some of the more common maple trees can grow between 50 to 100 feet tall.

References

• Waterford Virginia: Maple Trees