Silver Maple vs Sugar Maple (Hard Maple) - TreeTime.ca

Silver Maple vs Sugar Maple (Hard Maple)

Acer saccharinum

Acer saccharum

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Silver Maple
Sugar Maple (Hard Maple)

Silver Maple is a fast-growing, large deciduous tree that typically has a short trunk and sharply branched crown.

Silver Maple bears red flowers in early spring and beautiful five lobed, deeply notched green and silver leaves that turn yellow in the fall. This versatile and attractive shade tree requires a large yard.

Silver Maple is often used to make syrup instead of Sugar Maple in colder areas where Sugar Maple sap does not sweeten very well (like the Canadian prairies).

Sugar Maple is a large, deciduous tree known for its brilliant fall yellow, orange, and red-orange color display.

This long-lived shade tree features unique "maple"
lobed leaves.

Note: this Zone 4 tree is unlikely to produce commercially viable sap on the prairies.

Silver Maple Quick Facts

Sugar Maple (Hard Maple) Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 20 m (66 ft)
Height: 20 m (66 ft)
Spread: 12 m (40 ft)
Spread: 11 m (35 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: none


Foliage: silvery undersides
Fall colour: pale yellow to brown
Fruit: winged samara
Seeds: located within the winged samaras
Seeds: winged samara
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: creek maple, silverleaf maple, soft maple, water maple, white maple
Other Names: hard maple, rock maple