For sugar maple tree identification, there 5 main ways to identify a maple tree: by its leaves, bark, branching pattern, twigs and buds, and by its flattened, winged seeds/fruit, called "samara". Identifying a maple tree becomes easy once a person recognizes these 5 characteristics. Since seeing for oneself is often better than a written description, here is a great illustration describing maple tree identification, and more information on how to identify maple trees.