Acer nigrum — black maple
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Facts
Black maple is a graceful tree typically found on moist, high-pH soils. It very closely resembles sugar maple (Acer saccharum), but its leaves tend to be hairier and turn yellow in the fall rather than orange. It is regarded as rare in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
Habitat
Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
- Leaf blade width
- 100–140 mm
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- Twig winter color
-
- brown
- gray
- Bud scale number
- there are three or more scales on the winter bud, and they overlap like shingles, with one edge covered and the other edge exposed
-
Buds or leaf scars
- Bud scale number
- there are three or more scales on the winter bud, and they overlap like shingles, with one edge covered and the other edge exposed
- Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
- NA
- Collateral buds
- there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
- Superposed buds
- there are no superposed buds on the branch
- Winter bud scales
- the winter bud is perulate (partially or completely covered with one or more scales)
-
Flowers
- Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
- Enlarged sterile flowers
- there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
- Flower petal color
- NA
- Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
- Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
- NA
- Hypanthium present
- the flower does not have a hypanthium
- Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a corymb (with long lower branches and shorter upper branches, giving it a more or less flat-topped look)
- Number of pistils
- 1
- Ovary position
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals
- Petal appearance
-
- NA
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
- Petal fusion
- NA
- Sepal cilia (Ilex)
- NA
- Stamen number
-
- 10
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
-
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
- NA
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe
- Fruit type (specific)
-
- the fruit is a schizocarp (when dry it splits into sections, each holding one or more seeds)
- the fruit is an achene (dry, usually 1-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)
- Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
- NA
- Wings on fruit
- the fruit has one or more wings on it
-
Glands or sap
- Sap color
- the sap is clear and watery
- Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
- NA
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant is a tree
-
Leaves
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf blade base shape
- The base of the leaf blade is cordate (heart-shaped, with rounded lobes)
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf blade edges (Acer)
- the leaves have teeth only at the tips of the lobes
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given
- Leaf blade scales
- there are no scales on the leaf blades
- Leaf blade shape
- the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- Leaf blade texture
-
- the leaf blade is coriaceous (has a firm, leathery texture)
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
- Leaf blade translucent dots
- there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
- Leaf blade width
- 100–140 mm
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
- NA
- Leaf midrib glands
- the midrib of the leaf blade lacks glands on the upper surface
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Leaf stalk nectaries
- there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
- Leaf teeth
-
- the edge of the leaf blade is entire (has no teeth or lobes)
- the leaf blade margin is crenate (with rounded teeth) or crenulate (with tiny, rounded teeth)
- Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
- NA
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there are two leaves per node along the stem
- Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- forests
- river or stream floodplains
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor, or it has an unpleasant or repellant odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Aerial roots
- the plant has no aerial roots
- Bark texture
- the bark of an adult plant is ridged or plated
- Branch brittleness (willows only)
- NA
- Branch cross-section
- the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
- First-year cane (Rubus)
- NA
- Pith shape
- the outline of the pith in a twig is roughly round
- Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
- NA
- Twig winter color
-
- brown
- gray
- Wings on branch
- the branch does not have wings on it
- armature on plant
- the plant does not have spines, prickles, or thorns
Wetland status
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Connecticut
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
- Massachusetts
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
- New Hampshire
- rare (S-rank: S2), threatened (code: T)
- Vermont
- uncommon (S-rank: S3)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
4. Acer nigrum Michx. f. N
black maple. Acer saccharum Marsh. ssp. nigrum (Michx. f.) Desmarais; A. saccharum Marsh. var. nigrum (Michx. f.) Britt.; Saccharodendron nigrum (Michx. f.) Small • CT, MA, NH, VT. Rich, mesic forests, riparian forests, often in regions of high-pH bedrock. Some occurrences of this species are believed to be planted (e.g., Salisbury, CT, see Graves et al. 1910). The distinctiveness of Acer nigrum and its treatment as a taxon separate from A. saccharum has been called into question by some researchers (Skepner and Krane 1997a, 1997b). However, the authors failed to supply an adequate discussion of the morphological differences between these two species (i.e., their difficulty identifying them may be based, in part, on using too few characters). Further, they made some false assumptions that led them to a potentially incorrect conclusion. Though their research does indicate a need for additional study, it is far from conclusive. Fall foliage of Acer nigrum is usually yellow-orange, in contrast to the usual orange-colored (often brightly so) foliage of A. saccharum. This species was reported from RI by Kartesz (1999), based on George (1992); however, George (1999) stated it was not naturalized in RI.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
Synonyms
- Acer saccharum Marsh. ssp. nigrum (Michx. f.) Desmarais
- Acer saccharum Marsh. var. nigrum (Michx. f.) Britt.
- Saccharodendron nigrum (Michx. f.) Small