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Thread: My Maple Trees Look Nothing Like the Identification Examples???

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
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    Ontario
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    Default My Maple Trees Look Nothing Like the Identification Examples???

    Hello All,

    I am finding identification guides little to no help.

    I definitely have a bunch of trees that seem easy to identify as Sugar Maple. I also have seen a couple Black Maple, and even more somewhere inbetween but their is little point in differentiating black from sugar.

    My problem is that all (every single one) of the trees that I suspect might possibly be red maples, mostly by the size of their leaves, look nothing like red maple leaves. I will not go into detail because the most descriptive thing I can say is very simple, they look exactly half way between a sugar and a red.

    Are Red-Sugar hybrids a thing? Is their some characteristic that is binary and guarantees a correct identification? Should I just assume that all small leafed maples are Red Maple (even when they have tiny versions of sugar maple leaves)?


    TL;DR: I have read books and browsed articles online. Still unsure if I have hundreds or 0 Red Maples Trees on my property. Every day I change my mind.
    Last edited by wisnoskij; 07-23-2019 at 10:25 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    show us some pictures of the leaf, the bark and the whole tree and you will get the help you need. How far north in Ontario are you? How well drained is the land? To your knowledge are the trees in question all native?
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Garrettsville,Ohio
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    AT OSU THERE ARE HYBRID TREES THEY ARE TAPPING AND RESEARCHING. THEY HAVE TAKEN PLUGS FOR DNA TESTING AND TESTING SAP. HERE IS KATHY SMITH'S EMAIL smith.81@osu.edu. SHE CAN GIVE YOU INSIGHT
    Fred Ahrens
    330-206-1606
    Richards Ohio Maple Equipment
    Ohio CDL sales rep
    LaPierre Dealer
    H&M maple fabricator Dealer
    Service Tech/repair for all brands and electronics

    don't take life too serious, nobody gets out alive anyways!

  4. #4
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    North Grenville
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    Maybe you have some naturally occurring hybrids? That's how the Freeman maple came about, they were originally a wild natural hybrid between a red and a silver. They are a popular yard tree in my area.
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Ontario
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    Default

    OK, back and with pictures. Most of them did not turn out so well. But I have one that did and now that I know Freeman maples exist makes far more sense.

    I am pretty sure that is what at least some of these inbetween looking trees are. Take a look at this.

    Tree 1 - Leaf.jpg
    Tree 1 - Bark.jpg
    Tree 1 - Canopy.jpg


    South Ontario (London Area)
    Lots of clay, so not great, but the trees outside of the woodlot are all on ridges, so they are pretty well drained.
    The trees out of the woodlot are all on fence lines and surrounding the driveway. They are straight enough that I would suspect they were planted and they do not match the varieties I am seeing in the woodlot. So good chance that they were bought in (but we are talking around 100 years ago).
    Last edited by wisnoskij; 07-26-2019 at 07:47 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,080

    Default

    I would guess silver or Freeman (Autumn Blaze here). The silver leaves turn yellow and the Autumn Blaze turn bright red.
    Smoky Lake 2x6 dropflu pans and hoods on homemade arch
    Smoky Lake 6 gallon water jacked bottler
    Concentric Exhaust
    250 Deer Run RO
    325 taps

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,547

    Default

    Looks like a Freeman Maple, but I can't tell you which. It seems there are 7 or more variations all called a Freeman Maple. Maybe this link will help: http://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plant...freemans-maple
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    North Grenville
    Posts
    1,477

    Default

    From what I know of Freemans, they have only officially been around and cultivated for about 40-50 yrs. I'll get some shots of my neighbour's Freemans. Generally the trunks look like a red but the limbs silver. I personally think it's a big red that you have.
    Been tapping since 2008.
    2018 - 17 taps/7 trees...819l sap, approx 28l syrup
    2019 - 18 taps/8 trees...585l sap, 28l syrup...21:1 ratio
    2020 - 18 taps/8 trees...890.04l sap...gave away about 170l, 30l snafu'd....23l total for me from approx 690l
    2021 - 18 taps/8 trees...395l sap, 12 l syrup
    2022 - 18 taps/8 trees....7 sugars 1 red due to #2 having surgery so had the season off....582l sap, 18.5l syrup
    2023 - 18 taps/8 trees...all sugars again. 807l sap, so far approx 14l syrup

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Ontario
    Posts
    20

    Default

    So Reds can have extra lobes? That seems to be my problem, I cannot find any tree identification resources that contain more than a single picture of 1 leaf, I have very little idea of what range is possible within a species.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    chester, ma
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    905

    Default

    Just from looking around online, it sure looks like a Freemans to me. Here's a pic. Middle one looks just like yours to me: https://landscapeplants.oregonstate....ge/ac-sfr2.jpg
    2016: Homemade arch from old wood stove; 2 steam tray pans; 6 taps; 1.1 gal
    2017: Same setup. 15 taps; 4.5 gal
    2018: Same setup. Limited time. 12 taps and short season; 2.2 gal
    2019: Very limited time. 7 taps and a short season; 1.8 gals
    2020: New Mason 2x3 XL halfway through season; 9 taps 2 gals
    2021: Same 2x3, 18 taps, 4.5 gals
    2022: 23 taps, 5.9 gals
    2023: 23 taps. Added AUF, 13.2 gals
    2024: 17 taps
    All on buckets

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