Maple trees have an opposite leaf arrangement, which means that two leaves emerge from the stem at the same point, on opposite sides of the stem. The pairs of leaves alternate along the stem. This creates a distinctive pattern of paired leaves that run along the stem. The leaf stems, or petioles, of each pair of leaves are attached at the same point on the stem, and the two leaves are mirror images of each other. The opposite leaf arrangement is a characteristic feature of many plants in the maple family, including sugar maple, red maple, and silver maple. Sweetgum trees, on the other hand, have an alternate leaf arrangement, where a single leaf emerges from the stem at each point. The leaves alternate along the stem, rather than being paired, as in the case of maple trees. This means that the leaves are not attached at the same point on the stem, and they do not have mirror images of each other. The alternate leaf arrangement is common in many different types of trees, including oak, hickory, and dogwood.