Kiwi Maple production?

[tuckermtn]

Found these in an experimential forest on the North Island of New Zealand. The forest was planted in 1900ish to see what species of trees might grow well in NZ's mild climate. Not sure what species of maple, as the visitors center had no record of any maples being planted. That is a pacific redwood (same as in California) in the second shot that is a little more than a 100 years old. Pretty amazing forest...
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[morningstarfarm]

Nice!...but do they get the temps for them to run?

[maple flats]

Yes, to make syrup you need the temperature to go below freezing long enough for the process to take place when the temps go above and back below freezing. The below temps cause the tree to draw water in thru the roots, then the above generates the pressure to force the sugar water to the top of the tree, we just intercept a portion to make syrup. Without those freeze thaw cycles you won't get the sap to make syrup.

[John T]

That looks like a Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) leaf. They grow here in the Pacific Northwest and since our climate is similar to New Zealand's, it is very possible they were introduced from here. The leaves look like a cross of Sugar and Silver Maple, but they are up to 12 inches wide.

[tuckermtn]

I wound't be surprised if it is bigleaf - lots of other West Coast/PNW species there in the same grove of trees.

They do not have the freeze/thaw cycles in that part of New Zealand. Very temperate, with a very long (i.e. 12 months of the year) growing season. BTW, they call all "syrup" maple syrup down there - even the stuff made with corn syrup and molases.