Squirrels or raccoons may use large branches or trunks hollowed out by heart-rot as dens. Sugar Maple Acer saccharum Sugar maple grows on sandy loams, loams, and silt loams, but it does best on well-drained loams and silt loams. It does not grow well on dry shallow soils. It is mostly found on Spodosols, Alfisols, and Mollisols. The soil pH for sugar maple ranges from 5.5-7.3.
Seedlings are very shade tolerant and can survive long periods of suppression.
In dry areas natural seedlings need overstory shade until they reach 2-4 feet tall at which time their root system is sufficiently developed. Planting or other regenerative methods are rarely needed as sugar maple grows readily in Wisconsin. Open field plantings of sugar maple can be susceptible to sun scalding in the first few years following establishment. Stump sprouts are common for seedlings, but the percentage of stump sprouts decrease with increasing tree size, stand density, and years since cutting. The range of sugar maple includes the entire state.