Second, like red maple, it begins growth in the spring, earlier than sugar and black maple, resulting in a shorter collecting season. Third, like red maple, the evaporation of sap from some silver maples produces an excessive amount of sugar sand. Neither of these species is commonly tapped. Striped maple is a small slender tree which rarely attains tapable size. It is most easily identified by the opposite paired arrangement of its leaves and branches, its 3-lobed leaf with fine teeth on the margin, and striping on the branches and young trunks.
Mountain maple is essentially a shrub.
It is most easily identified by the opposite paired arrangement of its leaves and branches and its 3lobed leaf with coarse teeth. If these species occur in a sugarbush it is important to be able to identify them. They should not be confused with the desirable maple species when performing management practices such as thinning or release cuts. The sap of Norway maple is not commonly used to produce maple syrup. Geographic range of sugar maple in North America.