Don't get your hopes up for syrup soon after planting a sugar maple. The tree must be 40-50 years old before tapping it ... Growing conditions. Hardiness zones: 4 to 8. Sun: full sun to part shade ...

The red maple is growing in popularity and is often stronger than its sibling, the sugar maple. “Maple is a relatively clean tree, with strong branches that do not break off easily in high winds.

Straight from the tree, maple sap is only about 2 percent sugar. To transform it into a topping worthy of a short stack, the sap must be boiled down to a much sweeter 66 percent sugar, a process ...