Sugar Maple - Canada

Acer saccharum - The sugar maple is one of several maple species found worldwide. It is a slow growing tree, attaining a height of 40 meters at maturity. The maple is a hardy and tolerant tree, but recent declines in acreage is a direct result of increased acid precipitation and air pollution in the northeastern industrial corridor. Maple syrup is derived from the xylem of the sugar maple tree. Xylem is the vascular tissue of the sugar maple and allows the tree to transport water from the roots to the leaves.

- - - - -

The first European settlement of Canada occurred in 1000 AD; Norsemen built a small colony at L'Anse aux Meadows. The settlement did not survive and Europeans remained absent from Canada until John Cabot’s exploration of 1497; he claimed his findings for England. Jacques Cartier arrived in 1534 and claimed the area along the Saint Lawrence River for France. This pitted England against France in several wars for control of Canada; England emerged as the victor during the Seven Years’ War.

Red Maple - Rhode Island

The official name of Rhode Island is “State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” In size, it is the smallest of the American states, but it does have the longest name. Despite the use of “island” in its name, Rhode Island is attached to the mainland and has only a few islands located in Narragansett Bay.

- - - - -

Acer rubrum - The red maple is one of the most recognized trees in the United States and Canada. The leaves, petioles, seeds, and twigs have some form of red coloration. It is a hardy tree, able to thrive in a wide variety of soil conditions; from dry to swampy. The red maple grows to 15 meters and has a life span of approximately 150 years, reaching full maturity at about 75 years. The tree is grown for ornamental purposes, used in the commercial lumber business, and is one of the three primary trees providing maple syrup.