Maple, Black

This tree is one of the 150 trees initially included in the arboretum to coincide with the campus's 150th anniversary celebration.

Scientific Name:
Acer nigrum

Cultivar:

Native to:
Quebec and New England to West Virginia and Kentucky, west to South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas and Arkansas

Mature Height and Width:
60-75 feet by 60-75 feet, can reach more than 100 feet high

Additional Notes:
Often confused with the more widely known sugar maple, botanists currently categorize both as varieties of the same species.  Black maple leaves generally have only three lobes to sugar maples five, in addition to some other subtle, and not always reliable, indicators.  Black maple tends to dominate in the Midwest, suggesting greater drought tolerance than sugar maple.