Black maple grows on a variety of soils, but most commonly on moist soils of river bottoms in mixed hardwood forests. It grows rapidly in early life, then slowly and may live 200 years.
Maples vary in hardiness. Most fall into zones 4 through 8, but some are less tolerant of cold or heat than others.
The important climatic factors within the range of black maple are as follows: normal annual total precipitation, 610 to 1420 mm; growing season precipitation, 300 to 510 mm; average annual snowfall, 15 to 150 cm; average annual minimum temperature –120 to -340°C ; average length of frost-free period, 120 to 210 days; precipitation effectiveness index, 48 to 127.
Maples that are fast growing tend to have weak wood and may suffer from wind and ice damage. Slower growing maples have heavier, harder wood, making them less susceptible to branch and limb drop.
Pests that Affect Black Maple
*Wooly Alder Aphid
*Giant Bark Aphid
*Cottony Maple Scale
*Oystershell Scale
*Yellowbellied Sapsucker
*Scale Insects
Vertebrate animals also use black maple and other maples as a source of food and protective cover. Some upland gamebirds and songbirds eat the seeds, buds, or sap of these trees. Among mammal species, the wood and bark are eaten by the American Beaver and North American Porcupine.
The black maple (Acer saccharum var. nigrum)
