• Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple) native plant in bloom
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Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)

Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)

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Pure Live Seed

Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.

Pure Live Seed (PLS) refers to the percentage of a seed lot that consists of the desired species and is viable (capable of germination).   

Here's why PLS is crucial for native seeds:

  • Accurate Planting:
    • PLS helps determine the actual number of viable seeds in a given weight or volume of seed.   
    • This ensures you plant the correct amount of seed to achieve the desired density and success rate.   
  • Cost-Effectiveness:
    • By knowing the PLS, you can avoid overspending on seed that may not germinate.
    • This is especially important for native seeds, which can be more expensive than some cultivated varieties.
  • Weed Control:
    • PLS helps minimize the presence of weed seeds within the seed lot.
    • This reduces competition for resources and ensures the successful establishment of the desired native plants.
  • Ecological Restoration:
    • Using high-quality native seeds with a high PLS is essential for successful ecological restoration projects.
    • It helps to re-establish diverse and resilient plant communities that support local wildlife.

Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.

0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces

  • 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
  • 0.25 pounds  = 4 ounces
  • 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
  • 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
  • 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces

Sugar maple can begin life in woodland shade and eventually form a tall tree with a dense crown. Well-drained, fertile soil with steady moisture gives it an appropriate foundation.

Sun exposure for Acer saccharum: full sun to light shade. Soil conditions: mesic; well-drained. Recorded habitats include rich mesic woods; Sandy woods; Wooded bluffs and hills; North-facing wooded slopes; Protected wooded coves and river valleys; Lower rocky ravines and canyons; Limestone-glade edges. Reported height: 60-100 ft.

Leave room for the mature branches beside paths and nearby plantings. Growth habit: dense, rounded to oval crown in open sites; shaded saplings have narrow, open crowns. Root structure: shallow, branched woody lateral roots.

Plant specifications & ecological relationships

Key growing facts

Sunlight Full sun to light shade
Soil moisture Mesic; well-drained
Height 60-100 ft
Bloom season Mid- to late spring
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
Growth habit Dense, rounded to oval crown in open sites; shaded saplings have narrow, open crowns
Root form Shallow, branched woody lateral roots
Soil pH NC State lists acidic, neutral soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established.
Cultivation hardiness zones Zones 3a–8b (NC State cultivation guidance)
Drought tolerance Medium
Deer browsing White-tailed deer browse leaves and twigs.
Salt tolerance None

Plant identification & seed reference

Botanical name Acer saccharum
Other common names sugar maple; Hard Maple; Leucoderme; Northern Sugar Maple; Sugar Maple
Seed germination USDA lists 40–90 days at 1–5°C; seed-lot response varies.
Plant family Sapindaceae
Seeds per pound — reference estimate 6540

Plant characteristics

Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple) is another maple known for its excellent fall color.  When fully grown it provides a dense shade perfect for patios and homes.  However, this shade can be too dense sometimes even for the most shade-tolerant plants including turfgrass.  Full-grown Sugar Maples are famously known for their ability to produce sugary sap, from which maple syrup is created.  Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.......... 

Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest FACU
C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 5
Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 Yes
Native range — U.S. states Alabama; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin
County nativity Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates

Other documented plant associations

These published associations show how this plant fits into natural vegetation. The region and community are identified for each list; moisture, shade and flooding can differ within a community.

Mixed mesophytic forest canopy

Eastern United States; range-wide synthesis

Shrubs in sugar-maple forests

Sugar maple commercial range in eastern North America; differing forest types

Flowering plants and ground layer in sugar-maple forests

Sugar maple commercial range in eastern North America; differing forest types

Forest overstory associates of northern red oak

Eastern North America; species-range synthesis

Northern hardwood forests, including wetter variants

Northern part of the American hornbeam range

Other regional plant communities

These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.

Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife

Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects

This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.

Moths

  • Acronicta retardata — Bantam Maple Dagger, Retarded Dagger
  • Archips fuscocupreanus — Exotic Leafroller Moth, ?Asian Leafroller (listed as introduced in the source)
  • Besma endropiaria — Straw Besma
  • Catastega aceriella — Maple Trumpet Skeletonizer
  • Cecrita biundata — Wavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivitta — Maple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Cenopis niveana — Aproned Cenopis Moth
  • Cenopis pettitana — Maple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulella — Palmerworm
  • Euclea delphinii — Spiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eupsilia morrisoni — Morrison's Sallow
  • Glaucolepis saccharella
  • Hypena baltimoralis — Baltimore Bomolocha, Baltimore Snout
  • Iridopsis ephyraria — Pale-Winged Gray
  • Lithacodes fasciola — Yellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Lithophane patefacta — Diomorphic Pinion, Branded Pinion
  • Lytrosis unitaria — Common Lytrosis
  • Macaria pustularia — Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth
  • Machimia tentoriferella — Gold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • Malacosoma disstria — Forest Tent Caterpillar
  • Paleacrita vernata — Spring Cankerworm Moth
  • Paraclemensia acerifoliella — Maple Leafcutter, Maple Case-Bearer
  • Phobetron pithecium — Hag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Pococera asperatella — Maple Webworm
  • Proteoteras aesculana — Maple Seed Caterpillar, Maple Twig Borer
  • Sunira bicolorago — Bicolored Sallow
  • Symmerista leucitys — Orange-Humped Mapleworm
  • Tortricidia flexuosa — Abbreviated Button Slug Moth
  • Tortricidia pallida — Red-Cross Button Slug

Leafhopper hosts

The INHS revision lists this plant as a host for the following Eratoneura leafhoppers. These plant-feeding insects are distinct from caterpillars and flower visitors.

  • Eratoneura cera
  • Eratoneura fausta
  • Eratoneura flexibilis
  • Eratoneura incondita
  • Eratoneura knighti
  • Eratoneura macra
  • Eratoneura rotunda
  • Eratoneura sancta
  • Eratoneura sandersoni
  • Eratoneura spinea

Host names follow the 2010 taxonomic revision. Its distribution records do not establish a host observation at your planting site.

Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions

What are the ideal growing conditions for Sugar Maple?
Acer saccharum performs best in partial sun to full shade with mesic (rich well-drained hardwood forests) conditions. It thrives in authentic regional soil types ranging from sandy loam to well-drained clay loams.

How do I germinate and establish Sugar Maple from seed?
Seed of Acer saccharum has a germination code of C(60). For best results, sow seed in late fall/winter for natural outdoor freeze-thaw stratification, or cold-moist stratify in refrigeration for 30 to 60 days before spring indoor propagation.

Is Sugar Maple deer and herbivore resistant?
Yes. Native plants adapted to Midwestern habitats naturally produce protective secondary compounds and fibrous textures that make them highly resistant to deer, rabbits, and other grazing herbivores.

When should I expect Sugar Maple to emerge and bloom?
Established plants break dormancy in spring as soil temperatures warm, developing vigorous foliage before blooming in their seasonal window to provide vital nectar when native pollinators need it most.

Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes

Chicago-region assessment: Wilhelm & Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region, via Kenneth Johnson’s Universal FQA dataset (2018). Chicago-region native status is separate from U.S. nativity.

The C-value and Chicago-region native status shown here also agree with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chicago Region FQA dataset (2017), distributed through the USACE/ERDC fqadata package under CC0.

Flora of the Chicago Region (2017) records this taxon as native in the Chicago region.

The state list describes native botanical distribution. It does not establish county nativity or occurrence, suitability for every site, or the origin of the plants and seeds offered here. An unlisted state is not proof of absence.

Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.

State and county nativity: The state list uses WCVP records marked native, excluding introduced, extinct and doubtful records. County nativity has not yet been verified for this listing. Presence in a county or preserve does not establish nativity there.

Documented plant associations: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service — querub; american hornbeam; black maple; sugar maple. Regions and community contexts are retained in the lists above. Federal botanical facts summarized in original wording; no photographs reproduced.

Available Flora-linked Chicago assessments remain controlling. These regional ecology accounts supplement evidence not available for direct reuse from the Flora; they are not represented as Chicago Flora association lists.

Plant communities: USDA Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System (FEIS): Acer saccharum; Betula alleghaniensis; Celtis occidentalis; Cornus alternifolia; Fagus grandifolia; Geranium maculatum; Osmorhiza claytonii; Prunus serotina; Prunus virginiana; Quercus alba; Rhus aromatica; Tilia americana. Selected association facts regrouped in original wording; regional scope retained. No source photographs or captions reproduced.

Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.

Leafhopper records: Dmitriev, D.A. & Dietrich, C.H. (2010), Review of New World Erythroneurini IV: Eratoneura, Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 39(3):79–258. © 2010 University of Illinois Board of Trustees; CC BY 4.0. Explicit host treatments selected and regrouped by Natural Communities. PDF treatment pages: Eratoneura cera, Eratoneura fausta, Eratoneura flexibilis, Eratoneura incondita, Eratoneura knighti, Eratoneura macra, Eratoneura rotunda, Eratoneura sancta, Eratoneura sandersoni, Eratoneura spinea.

C-value source: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), Universal FQA database 80. Matched source taxon: Acer saccharum. Exact.

View the C-value source

Sources checked September 5, 2026. Regional assessments and growing observations apply to their stated settings. Unverified fields are omitted; missing information does not mean an ecological relationship is absent.

  1. Illinois Wildflowers — John Hilty. Limited botanical facts presented in Natural Communities’ own wording. Source-specific observations retain their stated scope; photographs, original descriptive prose and compiled relationship tables are excluded. Supports: Bloom Season; Deer Resistance; Height; Opening botanical description; Primary Native Habitats; Root Architecture & Depth; Soil Moisture Range; Spread Habit; Sun Exposure; Sunlight Exposure.
  2. Universal FQA — Flora-linked Chicago database 80. Taxonomic names, family and regional nativity originally checked against Kenneth Johnson’s Flora-linked database 80 (2018), citing Wilhelm & Rericha (2017). Limited factual identification only; the C-value follows this Flora-linked database wherever an exact or documented synonym match is available. Supports: Alternate Common Names; Botanical Name; Chicago-region native status; Plant Family.
  3. USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
  4. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Limited botanical facts presented in Natural Communities’ own wording. Source-specific observations retain their stated scope; photographs, original descriptive prose and compiled relationship tables are excluded. Supports: Alternate Common Names; Soil pH Range; USDA Hardiness Zones.
  5. USDA NRCS PLANTS — taxon profile and characteristics. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, checked September 5, 2026. Numeric and categorical taxon-level facts only; no photographs or third-party guide prose reproduced. Supports: Drought Tolerance; Salt Tolerance; Seeds per pound — USDA reference estimate.
  6. USDA Forest Service — FEIS, wildflower accounts and seed manual. Limited botanical facts presented in Natural Communities’ own wording. Source-specific observations retain their stated scope; photographs, original descriptive prose and compiled relationship tables are excluded. Supports: Germination Code. Source locators: page=225.
  7. USACE National Wetland Plant List 2022 — Midwest. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2022 National Wetland Plant List, Midwest region; effective February 13, 2024. Federal data. Supports: Wetland Indicator Status.
  8. USDA Forest Service — FEIS, wildflower accounts and seed manual. Tirmenstein, D. A. 1991. Quercus alba. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Fire Effects Information System. Public-domain synthesis; community records retain their reported geography. Supports: Documented community associate: Quercus alba.
  9. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin — Eratoneura paper. Dietrich, C.H. & Dmitriev, D.A. (2010), Review of the Species of New World Erythroneurini, IV. Genus Eratoneura. Copyright University of Illinois Board of Trustees. CC BY 4.0; selected host records summarized and reformatted. No endorsement implied. CC BY 4.0. Supports: Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura cera; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura fausta; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura flexibilis; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura incondita; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura knighti; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura macra; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura rotunda; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura sancta; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura sandersoni; Leafhopper host record: Eratoneura spinea. Source locators: page=109, page=114, page=118, page=158, page=31, page=63, page=64, page=67, page=77, page=86.

Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.

The linked Illinois plant relationships were reconciled with INHS-hosted source inventories on September 6, 2026. Same-remnant pairs were calculated from shared named-site occurrences and organized for this catalog; they are not copied narrative descriptions or proof of microsite compatibility.

Historical botanical names remain visible where used by the source. These regional accounts supplement the available Chicago Flora evidence.

Reusable research data

{"title":"Natural Communities selected host records for Acer saccharum","source":"Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025). Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. Supplement 1.","source_doi":"https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1261.160796.suppl1","download":"https://binary.pensoft.net/file/1478226","source_sha256":"250a11ec19c89f81374af3bc632f6897491cbe540edb09ccdaf298dc73bf9472","license":"ODbL-1.0","license_url":"https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/","method":"Complete machine-readable selection and alteration file under ODbL section 4.6(b). In source worksheet UDELep May 2025, select only rows whose column A UDLepID appears in selection. Each selection entry contains [retained source plant names, selected insect IDs]. Create one record per selected ID and retained plant name; these are reported larval hosts. Scientific insect name is the first two whitespace-separated tokens of column H; common name is E; source category is AB. Other source fields are unchanged and are not part of this derived table. No other rows or host pairs are used on this page. Group Butterfly and Skipper categories together, and other categories as moths; retain exotic category labels. Display names are sorted by scientific insect name.","plant":"Acer saccharum","scope":"Host literature synthesis; no county nativity or local insect occurrence inferred.","selection":[[["Acer saccharum"],["200337","201287","201805","202371","202521","202524","202581","202582","204046","205090","205623","206261","207169","207391","207799","207841","207995","208054","208073","208112","209191","209341","209926","210267","210515","211926","211943","212524","212525"]]]}

Plant Shipping & Care

We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.

As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.

 

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Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready

We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.

Wholesale Orders

  • Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.

 

Retail & Website Orders

  • Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
  • Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
  • Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
  • If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months. 
  • Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
  • Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
  • If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready.  In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments 
  • Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability.  We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish.  If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date.  If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
  • Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
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Where We Ship

 

 

        What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery

        • Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
        • We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.

         

           Shipments

          • Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.

           

           

          What to Do With Your Plants After  Receiving Your Delivery

          • Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
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          • Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
          • If you cannot install your plants immediately
            • Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
            • Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
            • Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
            • No additional fertilizer is needed
          How to install native plugs

          Seed Shipping & Care

          There is a minimum order requirement of $30 for each seed species. Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.

          We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance.  We hope you find it helpful.  If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.

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