Uses for Maple Trees

There are many varieties of maple trees, including the famous sugar maple, and people use them in several different industries. Maple trees are easily recognized for their intricate leaves and bright fall colors. While they grow more easily and naturally on the eastern side of the United States, there are maples throughout most of the country, except for desert and high altitude regions.

Sugar is the most well-known use for maple trees. People harvest the sap by embedding spigots deep into the tree and collecting the sap runoff. People mix, dry, and process the sap to create maple sugar, or put it through an alternative process that turns it into maple syrup.

There are few better types of firewood for home stoves. Maple wood grows dense and clean, making it ideal for burning. The logs last longer than other types of wood and produce heat more efficiently. Maple logs do best when drying has seasoned them.

Many nurseries now carry several varieties of maple trees. Maple trees are a popular landscape option in mild climates. Some homeowners buy varieties that grow slowly and reach adulthood at a smaller size than other maples, such as the vine maple. This allows them to plant maple trees in smaller spaces while still enjoying the colors they bring in the autumn.

Maple wood is used in make furniture and flooring. Maple has a honey-color that works well in both these projects.