Plot & PetalField ManualAll plants
Sugar maple
Acer saccharum Marshall
Family: Sapindaceae
Pet & Human Safety
People: Not researchedPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
Dogs, cats and horses: no verdict. NC State, RHS and Univ. of Kentucky state no toxicity or poison information for this species. Do not treat as pet- or horse-safe.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonCare
- Hardiness zones
USDA 3a-8b per NC State Plant Toolbox; Winter hardy to USDA zone 4 per Univ. of Kentucky (a lower-limit statement; differs from NC State's 3a)
- Light
Full sun to part shade per NC State and RHS.
- Water needs
high
- Mature size
US: NC State: 50-120 ft tall in its description text (40-120 ft in the structured size line), 30-60 ft wide; Univ. of Kentucky: 60-75 ft tall in cultivation, up to 120 ft in the wild, spread about two-thirds of height; UK: RHS size class: higher than 12 m and wider than 8 m, to about 20 m, time to maturity 20-50 years
- Where it comes from
Eastern and central North America, from Canada south through the Appalachians to Georgia and west to Minnesota and northeast Texas (NC State); RHS: Alaska, Canada to SE United States (RHS lists this range as written; NC State's state list does not include Alaska).
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
Get the app: coming soonAnatomy & Guilds
Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
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Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonVintage Plates
Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonSources
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox - Acer saccharum
- RHS Plant Profile - Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
- University of Kentucky Dept. of Horticulture - Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)
- Iowa State University Extension - When is the best time to prune shade trees?
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control - toxic and non-toxic plants list