There are at least one hundred species of maple in the world. Fourteen of these are indigenous to the United States. Acer negundo .
Most maple syrup is made from sugar maple sap.
Sugar maple sap is preferred for making maple syrup because it has an average sugar content of two percent. Because sap from other maple species is usually lower in sugar content, approximately twice as much is needed to yield the same amount of finished syrup. If processed carefully, the resulting syrup from any of the maples described will have good flavor. During the active growing season, maples can be identified by their leaf shape. Sugar maple grows in most regions of Minnesota except in the extreme western counties.