How can I identify Maples in CT in winter?

[ryansclzo]

Thanks to all for the info. Admittedly it's pretty hard to see the opposite branching when it's so far up. I think these 2 trees have opposite.. are they maples? Also I am in fairfield county north of danbury

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[TapTapTap]

The shot with the big tree that still has leaves clinging to it well into the off season is a "Screaming Oak", screaming I am an oak with some of my leaves still on.

I was out tapping today and I had a sugar maple with a few leaves on it. It kept screaming "I'm not an oak!".

I find that the oak leaves hanging on a tree are dark brown and brittle. Sugar maple leave typically end as yellow in the fall and their color and texture is more like they've melted away until winter put them in suspended animation.

It still comes down to opposing twigs are either maple or ash. Then it's easy to tell by looking at the size of the twigs and the bark.

Ken

[MapleCreekFarm]

I would agree that none of those pictures look like maples. People ask me how to tell trees apart and I usually can't give much help. I tell them it's like knowing a face. The tree just looks like a maple, oak, ash, etc. And that only comes from spending time in the woods during all seasons for a few years. Your best bet is to get someone to come and verify and explain the differences.

[ryansclzo]

I was out tapping today and I had a sugar maple with a few leaves on it. It kept screaming "I'm not an oak!".

I find that the oak leaves hanging on a tree are dark brown and brittle. Sugar maple leave typically end as yellow in the fall and their color and texture is more like they've melted away until winter put them in suspended animation.

It still comes down to opposing twigs are either maple or ash. Then it's easy to tell by looking at the size of the twigs and the bark.

Ken

I ended up tapping 4 trees with 5 taps today and all had opposing twigs. I am pretty sure none were ash since ash has that diamond pattern... I guess my next question is: would other types of trees give any sap? Or would you have to taste it to know if it's maple sap

[Sugar Bear]

I was out tapping today and I had a sugar maple with a few leaves on it. It kept screaming "I'm not an oak!".

I find that the oak leaves hanging on a tree are dark brown and brittle. Sugar maple leave typically end as yellow in the fall and their color and texture is more like they've melted away until winter put them in suspended animation.

It still comes down to opposing twigs are either maple or ash. Then it's easy to tell by looking at the size of the twigs and the bark.

Ken

Great job ... convincing somebody posting pictures of oak trees to tap them and make maple syrup.

[ryansclzo]

Great job ... convincing somebody posting pictures of oak trees to tap them and make maple syrup.

haha I didn't tap any of the trees I pictured. I found different ones and made sure of the opposing branches, and also made sure there was no diamond ash bark... I'll see if any sap came out tomorrow after work

[Sugar Bear]

haha I didn't tap any of the trees I pictured. I found different ones and made sure of the opposing branches, and also made sure there was no diamond ash bark... I'll see if any sap came out tomorrow after work

Thank god.

While a lot of Vermonters know how to sugar and know what a sugar maple is, a lot don't. They moved to Vermont and pretend like they have been Vermonters for 16 generations.

That is the way it is in Vermont now! From one end of the state to the other.

The Ash trees in our region have been desecrated by the Emerald Ash Borer. RELENTLESS! All ash trees now show a lot of "Tanning" on there trunks. Birds have ripped away the outer bark showing a tan/khaki color on much of the trunk. These days you can easily identify ash trees by this Tanning. Nearly 100% of the ash in our region are effected. They are completely dead or very soon to be completely dead. Its a shame, cause they mill up some of the best lumber on the continent. Even after dead for the first year.

The juvenile ash or saplings appear to me to be impervious to the EAB. So after a century or two the great Ash trees may come about again so long as there will be no EAB sleeper cells.

You may not have sap flow tomorrow as a thaw may be needed for a day or two.

If you are in Maples you should have sap by mid week to the back end.

You can boil two cups down in a small pot and taste it. It should be candy sweet after one tablespoon is left in the pot.

If its bitter start writing an apology letter and post it in the woods when you are done!

Gods Speed.

[TapTapTap]

Thank god.

While a lot of Vermonters know how to sugar and know what a sugar maple is, a lot don't. They moved to Vermont and pretend like they have been Vermonters for 16 generations.

That is the way it is in Vermont now! From one end of the state to the other.

If I offended you somehow then I apologize.

From the beginning, I've only tried to help inform the original poster that opposite twigs mean a maple or ash and that it's easy to differentiate the two once you've narrowed it down to those 2.

I'll post some photos later today to show the variability of maples, including some with their leaves still on.

[TapTapTap]

You can boil two cups down in a small pot and taste it. It should be candy sweet after one tablespoon is left in the pot.

You don't need to boil the sap down to taste it's sweetness. It will be detectable right out of the tree.

Also, if you boil 2 cups down to a tablespoon I can guarantee you'll have a disaster. Make sure you know about defoamers before you boil. Even with a defoamer, you'd never be able to boil down to a tablespoon without a serious burn to the pot. Prepare to throw away the pot and the syrup.

[Sugar Bear]

[QUOTE=TapTapTap;390811]It's hard telling from photos. But I'm going to say they're all maples.
QUOTE]


As they say in New Yawk .... "Ya don't know what you are talkin bout"

I'm not offended, but rather angry that you are encouraging a neophyte to drill holes in Oak Trees.

I should have added that if you micromanage two cups of sap in a small pot you can reduce it effectively enough for a taste test. I have done it several times in the past and I am sure even you can do it.

I am not certain that the maple is the only tree in these parts (Connecticut) that will run any significant amount of clear sap at this time of year. I believe it is but I am not certain. I suppose you are, even though you can not tell a oak tree from a maple tree in a reasonably decent photo.