Black Maple, Acer nigrum, also known as Rock Maple and Hard Maple, is a decidious tree with very dense elliptical crown, rising to 25 metres tall, at a slow rate. It is indigenous to North America and is found close streams, rivers and in rich forests.

Black Maple is not a fruit or nut bearing tree but a species closely related to Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum. Both are cultivated commercially for the extraction of a sweet sap with reasonable amounts of sugar and it is well known in the market as Maple Syrup.

The two species have the disposition to form hybrids and the most uncomplicated and accurate way for telling between the two trees is that Black Maple has three-lobed leaves while the Sugar Maple has five-lobed leaves.

The Bark of the tree is in general dark gray-brown to black and older trees might be furrowed with long, thick, irregular ridges or scales. Twigs are brown in color, slender and glossy, gray pubescent near the sharp pointed terminal buds.

Acer nigrum leaves are opposite, simple and veined In a palmate manner. They are 7 to 15cm long, lobed with entire margin, frequently wilted-looking and large leafy outgrowth at the base of a leaf or its stalk may be present, with pubescence on the under surface.

Flowers are small, appearing the same time as the leaves, Yellow to green in color, born in clumps, hanging from a 2-6cm long stem. Flowers are monoecious; individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant.

Black Maple Fruit

The Black Maple fruit is two-winged horseshoe-shaped samaras about 1 inch long, appearing in clusters and matures in autumn contains the seeds. In ripening fruits, the seed vessel changes from green to brownish or reddish green.

Acer nigrum is a member of the family Aceraceae the genus Acer. This species is used similarly to the Acer saccharum, for timber and for maple syrup production. Holes for the extraction of the sap is best made about 7cm deep and about 1.3 meters above the ground.

The maple sap can be used as a drink or condensed into syrup by boiling off the water. The syrup is used as a sweetener on numerous foods. Yields can range from 40 – 100 liters per tree.

Black Maple Propagation Methods

Tree propagation is by seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe and also cuttings. Viable seed can have an average of 95% germination but, can be slow to germinate and occasionally can take up to two years to do so. The tree can grow on an assortment of soils, but most commonly on moist soils.

Black Maple, Acer nigrum

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