Maples are trees or shrubs in the genus Acer.

There are approximately 125 species, most of which are native to Asia, but several species also occur in Europe, northern Africa, and North America.

Maples are mostly trees growing to 10-40 m (30-130 feet) in height.

Others are shrubs less than 10 m tall with a number of small trunks originating at ground level.

Most species are deciduous, but a few in southern Asia and the Mediterranean region are evergreen.

Maples are important as source of syrup and wood.

They are also cultivated as ornamental plants and have benefits for tourism and agriculture..

For more information about the topic Maple tree, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Toxicodendron — Toxicodendron is a small genus of woody trees, shrubs and vines, all of which produce the skin-irritating oil urushiol, which can cause a severe ...  > read more

Tree — A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. Though there is no set definition regarding minimum size, the term generally applies to ...  > read more

Oak tree — The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus, and some related ...  > read more

Ivy — Hedera (English ivy) is a genus of about ten species of climbing or ground-creeping evergreen woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to the ...  > read more

Related Stories

Autumn Color Is Nature's Sunscreen, Say Researchers (October 1, 2001) — University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists have a new theory about why autumn leaves turn scarlet and why the hues are more vibrant some years than others. They say that the red pigments -- called ...  > read more

Acid Rain Causing Decline In Sugar Maples, Say Researchers (June 5, 2006) — Acid rain created by burning fossil fuels has altered soils and has caused fewer sugar maples to grow in the Northeast, according to a new study led by Cornell ...  > read more

Nurseries To Give Big-City Test To Cloned Trees (July 17, 2006) — Cornell researchers are partnering with nursery operators in a project funded by the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI) to help trees thrive in harsh urban landscapes. The project will ...  > read more

How To Keep Invasive Plants Out Of Forest Fragments (March 14, 2001) — Fragmented habitat is vulnerable partly because it has more edges, which are susceptible to invasion by non-native species. While the obvious solution of minimizing the amount of edge is not always ...  > read more

Emphasis On Conifer Forests Places Multiple Species At Risk (August 28, 2007) — The traditional emphasis on dense, fast-growing, conifer-dominated forests in the Pacific Northwest raises questions about the health of dozens of animal species that depend on shrubs, herbs and ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily

Our Changing Climate