Trouble identifying maple trees

[Troy McDonald]

I live in Michigan. We have many maples that don't follow the leaf descriptions I have read. They have 5 lobes with toothed margins. And they are not Silver maple. As far as I understand 5 lobes means sugar maple, but toothed margins means red maple. Which is the primary identifier? The number of lobes or the toothed/smooth margins?

 

[mrtree]

The basic references to check are:

Michigan Trees by Barnes and Wagner
Michigan Flora by Voss
Field Manual of Michigan Flora by Voss and Reznicek
Trees of Canada by Farrar
The Sibley Guide to Trees by Sibley

You may be having an issue with a non-native (Acer pseudoplatanus) or perhaps a hybrid such as Acer fremanii or one of the landscape chybrids such as Autumn Blaze.

 

[flyingsquirrel25]

You may also have Norway Maple out that way. Can be easily mistaken for sugar especially when young and small. Easy way to distinguish between them is to pull a leaf and petiole off a twig. Squeeze the petiole at the leaf and slide toward the detachment point. You are trying to get the sap to come out. If it comes out milky its Norway, if clear its sugar.
Around here the Norway grows with the sugars in the woods and its invasive, that's how we teach non-trained individuals to help with invasives control.

 

[Treezybreez]

Welcome to Treebuzz. How about posting a picture of the tree/trees in question?

 

[jmaher]

You may also have Norway Maple out that way. Can be easily mistaken for sugar especially when young and small. Easy way to distinguish between them is to pull a leaf and petiole off a twig. Squeeze the petiole at the leaf and slide toward the detachment point. You are trying to get the sap to come out. If it comes out milky its Norway, if clear its sugar.
Around here the Norway grows with the sugars in the woods and its invasive, that's how we teach non-trained individuals to help with invasives control.

Norway's are junk. They are very similar to a sugar. After gaining a firm, unwavering hatred for the bastards.. they get easier to pick out in a lineup.






No good pricks.
Sorry. I'm done.

 

[r0ck1r0ck2]

also?

 

[r0ck1r0ck2]

hedge maple and amur maple also

and yes.
norway or autumn blaze are also common.

 

[BuckmasterTreeService]

also?

Sweet gum tree

 

[r0ck1r0ck2]

yessir

 

[Oak Savanna]

Troy, they could be Sycamore maple...Acer pseudoplatanus. How about some pictures? Just realized mrtree already mentioned this above.....

 

[AW4130]

also?

Sweet Gum. Liquidambar styraciflua.