Both the red and sugar maples produce lots of sweet sap, but the syrup from the red maple is less delicate. The wood of the sugar maple, ranging in color from nearly white to pale blond, is of higher quality than that of the red maple and is prized by cabinet makers and builders alike. It is also used for musical instruments, especially woodwinds.
The red maple will thrive in areas too moist for the sugar maple. It's a sturdy tree that is appreciated as an ornemental because of its brillantly colored foliate.
The red and sugar maples are just two out of some 160 species in the maple family around the world. Quebec has four other native species: the silver maple, the boxelder, the mountain maple, and the striped maple.
Leaves, palmately arranged in opposite pairs, simple, with 3 to 5 pointed lobes, toothed edges.
Fruits, paired keys, at roughly a 60 degree angle.