The fruit, a U-shaped pair of winged seeds, ripens in the fall. In crowded stands, sugar maple develops a tall, straight trunk and a narrow crown. Open-grown trees have a shorter stem and rounded crown. The bark of mature trees is thick, light gray to brown, and broken by vertical furrows into plate-like scales. The sap is used to make maple syrup and maple sugar.
Sugar maple is a popular shade and ornamental tree.
Grows best on fertile well drained to somewhat poorly drained soils. Leaves are 2 - 6 inches long and somewhat broader than long. They turn brilliant scarlet, orange or bright yellow in autumn. On old trunks, the bark is thick, dark gray and separated by vertical ridges into large plate-like scales. Red maple is often planted as an ornamental.