What is the difference between sugar maple and silver maple?

Question

What is the difference between sugar maple and silver maple?

Answer 1

The sugar maple leaves tend to have just lobes (http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?i... ), but the silver has both lobes and teeth (http://plants.usda.gov/java/largeImage?i... ) along the margins.  Also, the silver maple sinuses (the "inside" curve to the lobes) tends to be cut deeper in the silver maple.  And if you compare the twigs/buds, the silver maple's are rounded at the tips much like a red maple where the sugar maple's are pointed.

There's also a difference in natural habitat with the silver maple preferring moist/wet soil along wetland areas but sugar maples are more upland plants.

Answer 2

the fruit are not similar. sugar wings are nearly parallel.  silver spreads at an 80 degree angle, and is larger

Answer 3

The leaf characteristics, the differences in the fruit and the tree itself help in differentiation of sugar maple from the silver maple.

e.g. sugar maple leaf will have u shaped notches whereas the silver maple leaf will have v shaped notches on the leaf border.

The appearance of the new twigs and buds is distinct in both.

The following sites give details of the differences.

http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact%20pages/m...

http://www.oplin.org/tree/fact%20pages/m...

Answer 4

Silver maples are usually found in wet riparian zones along river banks etc.  Sugar maples are the dominant canopy tree in many temperate forests.  Sugar maples are more common in cities, along boulevards, etc.

The leaf shape and bark are a bit different, but the fruits (wing-samaras) are fairly similar.