The Double Samara Seed

The seed of the maple tree (Acer saccharum) is symmetrical about a plane of symmetry. The shape of the seed helps it to fly away from the parent tree so that the seedling has space to grow.


From Seedling to Sapling to Sugar Maker

From Seedling to Sapling to Sugar Maker

The maple tree grows about 1 foot per year for the first 30 to 40 years of life. The following chart shows the classification of a maple tree as it grows:

A sugar maple is ready to be tapped once the diameter reaches 10-12 inches. (Circumference = π × diameter. Therefore, the circumference should be at least 31.4 inches.)


Maple Fractals

Maple Tree Fractals

Did you know that maple trees exhibit approximate fractal patterns?

A maple leaf is an approximate fractal (the pattern is finite).

A computer rendering of a fractal maple leaf

Photo credit: Paul Bourke

Branches of a maple tree grow in a fractal pattern

Photo credit: Mark Charles Langdon, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

How Old is This Tree?