Acer saccharum
sugar maple
Sugar maples were unknown on campus until a pair presented itself in 2018 as I was counting the giant sequoias along the pathway between Bing Concert Hall and Frost Amphitheater in mid-October. Just before I reached Lasuen Street, a few richly hued leaves reached out from the canopy – that unmistakable outline of sugar maple! The stylized leaf on the Canadian flag captures its essence quite well, including the distinctively rounded sinuses. The epithet saccharum ultimately derives from Sanskrit sharkara, “sugar,” the source of Hindi shakkar and our own word “sugar.”
By early November, the foliage usually turns a rich orange, though sometimes yellow, red, or an ember-mix – one reason tree expert Arthur Lee Jacobson names it his favorite for autumn color, since few other trees produce such a uniformly orange display. The surviving tree has the classic oval, symmetrical crown of a younger sugar maple and is the only known specimen in the area (though see A. nigrum). A smaller companion beside it, cowering beneath an overbearing London plane, was chopped down in 2026 when an amphitheater concession stand – no doubt serving sugary and perhaps even maple treats – was installed nearby.
About this Entry: Authored Jul 2026 by Sairus Patel.
