Black Maple (Acer saccharum nigrum)

Family: Aceraceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Bloom Color: Green. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Oval, Rounded.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Sap/Syrup, Bark/Inner Bark

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweetener on many foods. — The sap contains reasonable quantities of sugar and can be used as a drink or concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water.; The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods.; The sap can be harvested in late winter or early spring[, the flow is best on a warm sunny day after a frost.; Trees on southern slopes in sandy soils give the best yields.

Habitat & North American Range

Rich calcareous or alluvial woods. Found in a variety of soil types, near streams, rivers and in rich woodlands, usually below 750 metres but up to 1650 metres in the south of its range. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6)