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{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Late Paleocene | Recent|earliest=66.5}}
| image = Acer pseudoplatanus 002.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Acer pseudoplatanus]]'' (sycamore maple) foliage
| taxon = Acer
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| range_map = Map genus Acer.png
| range_map_caption = Distribution
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See either <br/>[[List of Acer species|species grouped by sections]]<br/>[[List of Acer species alphabetical|alphabetical list of species]]
}}

'''''Acer''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|eɪ|s|ər}}) is a [[genus]] of [[tree]]s and [[shrub]]s commonly known as '''maples'''. The [[genus]] is placed in the family [[Sapindaceae]].<ref name="Stevens">Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 [and more or less continuously updated since]. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/.</ref> There are approximately 132 [[species]], most of which are native to [[Asia]],<ref>{{eFloras|2|100167|Acer|first1=Tingzhi|last1=Xu|first2=Yousheng|last2=Chen|first3=Piet C.|last3=de Jong|first4=Herman John|last4=Oterdoom|first5=Chin-Sung|last5=Chang|volume=11|access-date=27 May 2012}}</ref> with a number also appearing in [[Europe]], northern [[Africa]], and [[North America]]. Only one species, ''[[Acer laurinum]]'', extends to the [[Southern Hemisphere]].<ref name="The Red List of Maples">Gibbs, D. & Chen, Y. (2009) [http://www.bgci.org/files/Worldwide/News/sepdec09/maples_red_list.pdf The Red List of Maples] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528200257/http://www.bgci.org/files/Worldwide/News/sepdec09/maples_red_list.pdf |date=2019-05-28 }} Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) {{ISBN|978-1-905164-31-8}}</ref> The [[type species]] of the genus is the sycamore maple, ''[[Acer pseudoplatanus]]'', the most common maple species in Europe.<ref name="gelderen">van Gelderen, C. J. & van Gelderen, D. M. (1999). ''[[iarchive:maplesforgardens0000geld/mode/2up|Maples for Gardens: A Color Encyclopedia]] [[ISBN]] 9780585254579'' </ref> Maples usually have easily recognizable [[palmate]] leaves (''[[Acer negundo]]'' is an exception) and distinctive [[samara (fruit)|winged fruit]]s. The closest relatives of the maples are the [[horse chestnuts]]. [[Maple syrup]] is made from the sap of some maple species. It is one of the most common genera of trees in Asia. Many maple species are grown in gardens where they are valued for their autumn colour.<ref name="Acer L.">[https://treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/acer/] Crowley (2020) Acer L. from the website Trees and Shrubs Online</ref>

==Evolutionary history==
The closest relative of ''Acer'' is ''[[Dipteronia]],'' which only has two living species in China, but has a fossil record extending back to the middle [[Paleocene]] in North America. The oldest known fossils of ''Acer'' are from the late Paleocene of [[Northeast Asia]] and northern North America, around 60 million years old. The oldest fossils of ''Acer'' in Europe are from [[Svalbard]], dating to the late [[Eocene]] ([[Priabonian]] ~38–34 million years ago).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Areces-Berazain |first1=Fabiola |last2=Hinsinger |first2=Damien D. |last3=Strijk |first3=Joeri S. |date=March 2021 |title=Genome-wide supermatrix analyses of maples (Acer, Sapindaceae) reveal recurring inter-continental migration, mass extinction, and rapid lineage divergence |journal=Genomics |language=en |volume=113 |issue=2 |pages=681–692 |doi=10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.01.014|pmid=33508445 |s2cid=231754169 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Morphology==
[[File:Acer saccharum.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Acer saccharum]]'' (sugar maple)]]
Most maples are trees growing to a height of {{convert|10|-|45|m|abbr=on}}. Others are shrubs less than 10 meters tall with a number of small [[trunk (botany)|trunks]] originating at ground level. Most species are [[deciduous]], and many are renowned for their [[autumn leaf colour]], but a few in southern Asia and the [[Mediterranean region]] are [[evergreen]]. Most are [[Shade tolerance|shade-tolerant]] when young and are often riparian, understory, or pioneer species rather than climax overstory trees. There are a few exceptions such as [[sugar maple]].{{clarify|date=February 2022|reason=It sounds like this is saying that sugar maple is not shade tolerant like other maples, but our sugar maple article says that the tree is "among the most shade tolerant of large deciduous trees", so what "exception" is being claimed in this sentence?}} Many of the [[root]] systems are typically dense and fibrous, inhibiting the growth of other vegetation underneath them. A few species, notably ''[[Acer cappadocicum]]'', frequently produce [[root sprout]]s, which can develop into [[clonal colony|clonal colonies]].<ref name="gelderen"/>

[[File:Vine Maple leaves and flowers.jpg|thumb|''[[Acer circinatum]]'' (vine maple) leaves showing the palmate veining typical of most species]]
Maples are distinguished by opposite [[leaf]] arrangement. The leaves in most species are [[leaf shape|palmate]] veined and lobed, with 3 to 9 (rarely to 13) veins each leading to a lobe, one of which is central or apical. A small number of species differ in having palmate compound, [[leaf shape|pinnate]] compound, pinnate veined or unlobed leaves. Several species, including ''[[Acer griseum]]'' (paperbark maple), ''[[Acer mandshuricum]]'' (Manchurian maple), ''[[Acer maximowiczianum]]'' (Nikko maple) and ''[[Acer triflorum]]'' (three-flowered maple), have trifoliate leaves. One species, ''[[Acer negundo]]'' (box-elder or Manitoba maple), has pinnately compound leaves that may be simply trifoliate or may have five, seven, or rarely nine leaflets. A few, such as ''[[Acer laevigatum]]'' (Nepal maple) and ''[[Acer carpinifolium]]'' (hornbeam maple), have pinnately veined simple leaves.

[[File:Maple7951.JPG|left|thumb|''[[Acer rubrum]]'' (red maple) flowers]]
Maple species, such as ''[[Acer rubrum]]'', may be [[monoecious]], [[dioecious]] or [[polygamodioecious]]. The [[flower]]s are regular, [[symmetry (biology)#Pentamerism|pentamerous]], and borne in [[raceme]]s, [[corymb]]s, or [[umbel]]s. They have four or five [[sepal]]s, four or five [[petal]]s about 1–6 mm long (absent in some species), four to ten [[stamen]]s about 6–10 mm long, and two [[pistil]]s or a pistil with two styles. The [[ovary (botany)|ovary]] is superior and has two [[carpel]]s, whose wings elongate the flowers, making it easy to tell which flowers are female. Maples flower in late [[winter]] or early [[spring (season)|spring]], in most species with or just after the appearance of the leaves, but in some before the trees leaf out.<ref name=rhs>Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan {{ISBN|0-333-47494-5}}.</ref>

Maple flowers are green, yellow, orange or red. Though individually small, the effect of an entire tree in flower can be striking in several species. Some maples are an early spring source of [[pollen]] and [[nectar]] for [[bee]]s.

[[File:3D rendering of a µCT scan of a maple seed.ogv|thumb|right|[[3D rendering]] of a [[Computed tomography|µCT]] scan of a samara. Resolution is about 45 µm/[[voxel]].]]
The distinctive [[fruit]]s are called [[samara (fruit)|samaras]], "maple keys", "helicopters", "whirlybirds" or "polynoses". These [[seed]]s occur in distinctive pairs each containing one seed enclosed in a "nutlet" attached to a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue. They are shaped to spin as they fall and to carry the seeds a considerable distance on the wind. People often call them "helicopters" due to the way that they spin as they fall. During World War II, the US Army developed a special airdrop supply carrier that could carry up to {{convert|65|lb}} of supplies and was based on the maple seed.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=gN8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Mechanics+Science+installing+linoleum&pg=PA75 "Sky Hook Spirals from Plane"] ''Popular Mechanics'', December 1944, p. 75.</ref> Seed maturation is usually in a few weeks to six months after flowering, with [[Biological dispersal|seed dispersal]] shortly after maturity. However, one tree can release hundreds of thousands of seeds at a time. Depending on the species, the seeds can be small and green to orange and big with thicker seed pods. The green seeds are released in pairs, sometimes with the stems still connected. The yellow seeds are released individually and almost always without the stems. Most species require [[stratification (botany)|stratification]] in order to [[germination|germinate]], and some seeds can remain dormant in the soil for several years before germinating.<ref name="gelderen"/>

The genus ''Acer'' together with genus ''Dipteronia'' are either classified in a [[Family (biology)|family]] of their own, the ''[[Aceraceae]]'', or else classified as members of the family ''[[Sapindaceae]]''. Recent classifications, including the [[Angiosperm Phylogeny Group]] system, favour inclusion in ''Sapindaceae''. When put in family ''Sapindaceae'', genus ''Acer'' is put in [[subfamily]] ''[[Hippocastanoideae]]''. The genus is subdivided by its morphology into a multitude of sections and subsections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inh.co.jp/~hayasida/Ebunrui1.html|title=Classification of Genus ''Acer''|date=12 August 2007|access-date=19 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812014108/http://www.inh.co.jp/~hayasida/Ebunrui1.html|archive-date=12 August 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Areces-Berazain|first1=Fabiola|last2=Wang|first2=Yixi|last3=Hinsinger|first3=Damien D.|last4=Strijk|first4=Joeri S.|date=2020-07-13|title=Plastome comparative genomics in maples resolves the infrageneric backbone relationships|url=https://peerj.com/articles/9483|journal=PeerJ|language=en|volume=8|pages=e9483|doi=10.7717/peerj.9483|issn=2167-8359|pmc=7365138|pmid=32742784}}</ref> Molecular studies incorporating DNA sequence data from both chloroplast and nuclear genomes, aiming to resolve the internal relationships and reconstruct the evolutionairy history of the group, suggest a Late Paleocene origin for the group, appearing first in the northeastern Palearctic. Rapid lineage divergence was followed by several independent dispersals to the Nearctic and Western Palearctic regions.<ref name="Renner 795–808">{{Cite journal|last1=Renner|first1=Susanne S|last2=Grimm|first2=Guido W|last3=Schneeweiss|first3=Gerald M|last4=Stuessy|first4=Tod F|last5=Ricklefs|first5=Robert E|date=2008-10-01|title=Rooting and Dating Maples (Acer) with an Uncorrelated-Rates Molecular Clock: Implications for North American/Asian Disjunctions|journal=Systematic Biology|volume=57|issue=5|pages=795–808|doi=10.1080/10635150802422282|pmid=18853365|issn=1063-5157|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Areces-Berazain|first1=Fabiola|last2=Hinsinger|first2=Damien D.|last3=Strijk|first3=Joeri S.|date=2021-03-01|title=Genome-wide supermatrix analyses of maples (Acer, Sapindaceae) reveal recurring inter-continental migration, mass extinction, and rapid lineage divergence|journal=Genomics|language=en|volume=113|issue=2|pages=681–692|doi=10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.01.014|pmid=33508445|issn=0888-7543|doi-access=free}}</ref> Fifty-four species of maples meet the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] criteria for being under threat of extinction in their native habitat.<ref name="The Red List of Maples" />

==Pests and diseases==
[[File:RhytismaAcerinumDetailU.jpg|thumb|''[[Rhytisma acerinum]]'' fungus on ''[[Acer pseudoplatanus]]'' leaf]]
The leaves are used as a food plant for the [[larva]]e of a number of the order [[Lepidoptera]] (see [[List of Lepidoptera that feed on maples]]). In high concentrations, caterpillars, like the greenstriped mapleworm (''[[Dryocampa rubicunda]]''), can feed on the leaves so much that they cause temporary defoliation of host maple trees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://enpp.auburn.edu/outreach/web-publications/greenstriped-mapleworm/|title=Auburn University Entomology and Plant Pathology {{!}} Greenstriped Mapleworm|website=Auburn University Entomology and Plant Pathology|language=en|access-date=2017-11-14}}</ref> [[Aphid]]s are also very common sap-feeders on maples. In horticultural applications a [[dimethoate]] spray will solve this.

Infestations of the [[Asian long-horned beetle]] (''Anoplophora glabripennis'') have resulted in the destruction of thousands of maples and other tree species in Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio in the United States and Ontario, Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/wood_attackers/asian_longhorned_beetle_MA.html#226|title=Fact Sheets|website=Umassgreeninfo.org|access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://www.region.york.on.ca/Publications/News/2003/September+18,+2003+Asian+Longhorned+Beetle+discovered+in+York+Region.htm September 18, 2003 Asian Longhorned Beetle discovered in York Region] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060114221329/http://www.region.york.on.ca/Publications/News/2003/September%2B18%2C%2B2003%2BAsian%2BLonghorned%2BBeetle%2Bdiscovered%2Bin%2BYork%2BRegion.htm |date=January 14, 2006 }}</ref>

Maples are affected by a number of [[fungus|fungal]] diseases. Several are susceptible to Verticillium wilt caused by ''[[Verticillium]]'' species, which can cause significant local mortality. [[Cryptostroma corticale|Sooty bark disease]], caused by ''[[Cryptostroma]]'' species, can kill trees that are under stress due to [[drought]]. Death of maples can rarely be caused by ''[[Phytophthora]]'' [[root rot]] and ''[[Ganoderma]]'' root decay. Maple leaves in late summer and autumn are commonly disfigured by "tar spot" caused by ''[[Rhytisma]]'' species and [[mildew]] caused by ''[[Uncinula]]'' species, though these diseases do not usually have an adverse effect on the trees' long-term health.<ref name="phillips">Phillips, D. H. & Burdekin, D. A. (1992). ''Diseases of Forest and Ornamental Trees''. Macmillan. {{ISBN|0-333-49493-8}}.</ref>

==Cultural significance==
[[File:Canada flag halifax 9 -04.JPG|thumb|The Canadian flag incorporates a stylized maple leaf]]
[[File:Sammatti.vaakuna.svg|thumb|upright=0.7|The maple leaf in the coat of arms of [[Sammatti]]]]
A [[maple leaf]] is on the [[Arms of Canada|coat of arms of Canada]], and is on the [[Canadian flag]]. The maple is a common symbol of strength and endurance and has been chosen as the national tree of Canada. Maple leaves are traditionally an important part of [[Canadian Forces]] military regalia, for example, the military rank insignia for generals use maple leaf symbols.
There are 10 species naturally growing in the country, with at least one in each province. Although the idea of the tree as a national symbol originally hailed from the province of [[Quebec]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fraser.cc/FlagsCan/Nation/NatSym.html#r10|title=National Symbols|website=The Flag of Canada|date=1998|access-date=19 November 2017|first=Alistair B. |last=Fraser}}</ref> where the [[Acer saccharum|sugar maple]] is significant, today's arboreal emblem of Canada rather refers to a generic maple.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1444070816842/1444070816844|title=Official symbols of Canada - Canada.ca|first=Canadian|last=Heritage|website=Canada.pch.gc.ca|access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref> The design on the [[Flag of Canada|flag]] is an eleven-point stylization modeled after a sugar maple leaf (which normally bears 23 points).<ref>{{cite book |last1= Sandberg|first1=L. Anders |date= 2014|title=Urban Forests, Trees, and Greenspace: A Political Ecology Perspective|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BRMWBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA182 |publisher=Routledge |isbn= 9781134687633}}</ref>

It is also in the name of the Canadian ice hockey team, the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]].

The first attested use of the word was in 1260 as "mapole", and it also appears a century later in [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s ''[[Canterbury Tales]]'', spelled as "mapul".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/113861|title=maple, n.1|publisher=Oxford University Press|access-date=19 November 2017|via=Oxford English Dictionary}}</ref> The maple is also a symbol of [[Hiroshima]], ubiquitous in the local ''[[meibutsu]]''.

The maple leaf appears in the coat of arms of [[Sammatti]], a former municipality of [[Uusimaa]], [[Finland]].<ref>{{cite book | title = Suomen kunnallisvaakunat | publisher = Suomen Kunnallisliitto | year = 1982 | page = 161 | isbn = 951-773-085-3 | language = fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Sisäasiainministeriön vahvistamat kaupunkien, kauppaloiden ja kuntien vaakunat 1949-1995 I:13 Sammatti | url = http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=1637005 | publisher = Kansallisarkiston digitaaliarkisto | access-date = September 9, 2021 | language = fi}}</ref>

==Uses==
===Horticulture===
[[File:Maple between pines.jpg|thumb|left|A red maple tree highlighted between [[spruce]] trees]]
[[File:Acer palmatum sango kaku.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Acer palmatum]]'' (Japanese maple) has over 1,000 [[cultivar]]s. This cultivar is ''A. palmatum'' 'Sango kaku', sometimes called "coralbark maple"]]
Some species of maple are extensively planted as [[ornamental tree]]s by homeowners, businesses, and municipalities due to their fall colour, relatively fast growth, ease of transplanting, and lack of hard seeds that would pose a problem for mowing lawns. Particularly popular are [[Norway maple]] (although it is considered invasive in North America), [[silver maple]], [[Japanese maple]], and [[red maple]]. Other maples, especially smaller or more unusual species, are popular as specimen trees.<ref name="gelderen"/>

====Cultivars====
Numerous maple [[cultivar]]s that have been selected for particular characteristics can be [[plant propagation|propagated]] only by [[asexual reproduction]] such as cuttings, [[tissue culture]], budding or [[grafting]]. ''[[Acer palmatum]]'' (Japanese maple) alone has over 1,000 cultivars, most selected in Japan, and many of them no longer propagated or not in cultivation in the [[Western world]]. Some delicate cultivars are usually grown in pots and rarely reach heights of more than 50–100 cm.
[[File:Japanese Maple 'Kiyohime'.jpg|thumb|Acer palmatum var. 'Kiyohime' as [[bonsai]] during fall [[abscission]]. This dwarf hybrid cultivar is prized for its small leaves and bright red fall colors.]]

====Bonsai====
[[File:Bonsai Federahorn.jpg|thumb|left|"Roter Fächerahorn"]]
Maples are a popular choice for the art of [[bonsai]]. [[Japanese maple]] (''Acer palmatum''), [[trident maple]] (''A. buergerianum''), [[Amur maple]] (''A. ginnala''), [[field maple]] (''A. campestre'') and [[Montpellier maple]] (''A. monspessulanum'') are popular choices and respond well to techniques that encourage leaf reduction and [[ramification (botany)|ramification]], but most species can be used.<ref name="gelderen"/><ref name="Ma-Ke_Acer buergerianum">{{cite web | first=Mark | last=D'Cruz | title=Ma-Ke Bonsai Care Guide for ''Acer buergerianum'' | publisher=Ma-Ke Bonsai | url=http://makebonsai.com/guide/bonsailink.asp?quicklink=5030&name=Acer_buergerianum | access-date=2011-07-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714022834/http://www.makebonsai.com/guide/bonsailink.asp?quicklink=5030&name=Acer_buergerianum | archive-date=2011-07-14 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Collections====
[[File:Acer griseum3.jpg|thumb|''[[Acer griseum]]'' is widely grown for its decorative bark]]
Maple collections, sometimes called ''aceretums'', occupy space in many gardens and [[arboretum|arboreta]] around the world including the "five great W's" in [[England]]: [[Wakehurst Place Garden]], [[Westonbirt Arboretum]], [[Windsor Great Park]], [[Winkworth Arboretum]] and [[Wisley Garden]]. In the [[United States]], the aceretum at the [[Harvard University|Harvard]]-owned [[Arnold Arboretum]] in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] is especially notable. In the number of species and cultivars, the [[Esveld Aceretum]] in [[Boskoop|Boskoop, Netherlands]], is the largest in the world.<ref name="gelderen"/>

===Commercial uses===
Maples are important as sources of syrup and wood. Dried wood is often used for the [[Smoking (cooking)|smoking]] of food. Charcoal from maples is an integral part of the [[Lincoln County Process]] used to make [[Tennessee whiskey]].<ref name=HB1084>{{cite web|last=Zandona|first=Eric|title=Tennessee Whiskey Gets a Legal Definition|url=http://www.ezdrinking.com/ezdrinking/2013/9/14/tennessee-whiskey-gets-a-legal-definition|work=EZdrinking|access-date=2014-01-11}}</ref> They are also cultivated as [[ornamental plant]]s and have benefits for [[tourism]] and [[agriculture]].

====Timber====
[[File:curly maple bench.jpg|thumb|A bench made of highly figured maple wood]]
Some of the larger maple species have valuable [[timber]], particularly Sugar maple in North America and Sycamore maple in Europe. Sugar maple wood—often known as "hard maple"—is the wood of choice for [[bowling]] pins, bowling alley lanes, pool [[Cue stick|cue shafts]], and [[butcher block|butcher's blocks]]. Maple wood is also used for the manufacture of wooden [[baseball bat]]s, though less often than [[ash (tree)|ash]] or [[hickory]] due to the tendency of maple bats to shatter if they do break. The maple bat was introduced to [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) in 1998 by [[Sam Bat]] founder Sam Holman. Today it is the standard maple bat most in use by professional baseball.<ref>[http://www.hitrunscore.com/sam-bat-maple-baseball-bat-biography.html Sam Holman Maple Baseball Bats] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516023403/http://www.hitrunscore.com/sam-bat-maple-baseball-bat-biography.html |date=2010-05-16 }}</ref> Maple is also commonly used in archery as the core material in the limbs of a [[recurve bow]] due to its stiffness and strength.

Maple wood is often graded based on physical and aesthetic characteristics. The most common terminology includes the grading scale from common #2; which is unselected and often used for craft woods; common #1, used for commercial and residential buildings; clear; and select grade, which is sought for fine woodworking.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ahec.org/hardwoods/pdfs/IllustratedGradingGuide.pdf|title=Publications|website=Ahec.org|access-date=19 November 2017}}</ref>

Some maple wood has a highly decorative [[wood grain]], known as [[flame maple]], [[quilt maple]], [[birdseye maple]] and [[burl|burl wood]]. This condition occurs randomly in individual trees of several species and often cannot be detected until the wood has been sawn, though it is sometimes visible in the standing tree as a rippled pattern in the bark.

These select decorative wood pieces also have subcategories that further filter the aesthetic looks. Crotch wood, bees wing, cats paw, old growth and mottled are some terms used to describe the look of these decorative woods.<ref>[http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/_figure.htm Wood Terms and Examples] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314144353/http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/personal/woodpics/_figure.htm |date=2010-03-14 }}</ref>

Maples have a long history of use for furniture production in the United States.<ref name="Aronson1965">{{cite book|author=Joseph Aronson|title=The encyclopedia of furniture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j3XWBk-qMV0C&pg=PT300|access-date=8 September 2010|year=1965|publisher=Random House, Inc.|isbn=978-0-517-03735-5|pages=300–}}</ref> The [[Cherokee]] people would produce a purple dye from maple bark, which they used to dye cloth.<ref>{{Citation |contribution=History of the Cherokees, 1830–1846 |title=Chronicles of Oklahoma |last1=Knight |first1=Oliver |publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society|place=Oklahoma City|year=1956–57|page=164|oclc=647927893 |language=en }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author-last=Foreman |author-first=Grant |title=The Five Civilized Tribes |publisher=University of Oklahoma Press |location=Norman |year=1934 |pages=283–284 |language=en |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gGtLnSkqkekC&pg=PA283 |isbn=978-0-8061-0923-7 }}</ref>

====Tonewood====
Maple is considered a [[tonewood]], or a wood that carries sound waves well, and is used in numerous [[musical instrument]]s. Maple is harder and has a brighter sound than [[mahogany]], which is another major tonewood used in instrument manufacturing.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.fender.com/en-GB/news/index.php/?display_article=395 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-11-14 |archive-date=2021-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302174809/https://www.fender.com/en-GB/news/index.php/?display_article=395 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The back, sides, and neck of most [[violin]]s, [[viola]]s, [[cello]]s, and [[double bass]]es are made from maple.

[[Electric guitar]] necks are commonly made from maple, having good dimensional stability. The necks of the Fender [[Stratocaster]] and [[Telecaster]] were originally an entirely maple one piece neck, but later were also available with [[rosewood]] fingerboards. [[Les Paul]] desired an all maple guitar, but due to the weight of maple, only the tops of [[Gibson Guitar Corporation|Gibson]]'s Les Paul guitars are made from carved maple, often using quilted or flamed maple tops. Due to its weight, very few [[solid body]] guitars are made entirely from maple, but many guitars have maple necks, tops or veneers.

Maple is also often used to make [[bassoon]]s and sometimes for other [[woodwind instrument]]s like maple recorders.

Many [[drum]]s are made from maple. From the 1970s to the 1990s, maple drum kits were a vast majority of all drum kits made, but in recent years, [[birch]] has become popular for drums once again. Some of the best drum-building companies use maple extensively throughout their mid-pro range.<ref name="gelderen"/> Maple drums are favored for their bright resonant sound.<ref name="NichollsBacon1997">{{cite book|author1=Geoff Nicholls|author2=Tony Bacon|title=The drum book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rWq1_qnZ0mAC&pg=PT54|access-date=19 October 2010|date=1 June 1997|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=978-0-87930-476-8|pages=54–}}</ref> Certain types of drum sticks are also made from maple.

====Agriculture====
{{Further|Maple syrup}}
During late winter to early spring in northeastern [[North America]], when the night-to-day temperatures change from freezing to thawing, maple trees may be tapped for [[Sap (plant)|sap]] to manufacture [[maple syrup]].<ref name="qmsp">{{cite web|url=https://ppaq.ca/en/maple-production/step-by-step-production-maple-syrup/|title= Step-by-Step in the Production of Maple Syrup|publisher=Québec Maple Syrup Producers|date=2021|access-date=4 October 2021}}</ref> The sap is sent via tubing to a [[sugar house]] where it is boiled to produce syrup or made into [[maple sugar]] or [[maple taffy]]. It takes about {{convert|40|L|USqt}} of sugar maple sap to make {{convert|1|L|USqt}} of syrup.<ref name=qmsp/> While any ''Acer'' species may be tapped for syrup, many do not have sufficient quantities of sugar to be commercially useful, whereas [[sugar maple]]s (''A. saccharum'') are most commonly used to produce maple syrup.<ref name=qmsp/> [[Québec, Canada]] is a major producer of maple syrup, an industry worth about 500 million [[Canadian dollars]] annually.<ref name=qmsp/><ref name="cbc17">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-maple-syrup-production-increase-1.3990828|title=Quebec increases maple syrup production amid internal revolt, foreign competition|author=Marowits, Ross|publisher=CBC|date=20 February 2017|access-date=21 May 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170518192634/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-maple-syrup-production-increase-1.3990828|archive-date=18 May 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Also, as these trees are a major source of [[pollen]] in early spring before many other plants have flowered, maple flowers are a source of foraging for [[honeybee]]s that play a commercially important role in general agriculture and in natural habitats.<ref name="adf">{{cite web |title=Trees for bees and other pollinators |url=https://www.arborday.org/trees/health/pests/article-trees-for-bees.cfm |publisher=Arbor Day Foundation |access-date=5 October 2021 |date=2021}}</ref>

====Pulpwood====
Maple is used as [[pulpwood]]. The fibers have relatively thick walls that prevent collapsing upon drying. This gives good bulk and opacity in [[paper]]. Maple also gives paper good printing properties.

===Tourism===
Many maples have bright [[autumn foliage]], and many countries have leaf-watching traditions. The sugar maple (''[[Acer saccharum]]'') is the primary contributor to fall "[[leaf peeping|foliage season]]" in [[North America]], particularly in [[Central Ontario]], [[Quebec]], and northern [[New England]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[Wisconsin]], and [[Michigan]].

In [[Japan]], the custom of viewing the changing colour of maples in the autumn is called [[Leaf peeping|''momijigari'']]. [[Nikkō]] and [[Kyoto]] are particularly favoured destinations for this activity. In Korea, the same viewing activity is called ''danpung-nori'' and the [[Seoraksan]] and [[Naejang-san]] mountains are among the best-known destinations.

===Gallery===
<gallery>
File:台灣三角楓 Acer buergerianum var. formosanum 20220411100147 08.jpg|''[[Acer buergerianum var. formosanum]]'' leaves and fruit
Image:Acer cappadocicum spring.jpg|''[[Acer cappadocicum]]'' (Cappadocian maple)
Image:Acer carpinifolium.jpg|''[[Acer carpinifolium]]'' leaves
Image:Acer ginnala.jpg|''[[Acer ginnala]]'' foliage
Image:Bi-colored Maple Tree.jpg|''[[Acer grandidentatum]]'' (bigtooth maple) in autumn colour
Image:Paperbark Maple Acer griseum Leaves Closeup 2856px.jpg|''[[Acer griseum]]'' (paperbark maple)
Image:Acer laevigatum 3.jpg|''[[Acer laevigatum]]'' leaves and fruit
Image:Acer macrophyllum 0304.jpg|''[[Acer macrophyllum]]'' flowers and young leaves
File:青楓 Acer serrulatum 20210419095802 02.jpg|''[[Acer oliverianum]]'' The Chinese name "Qingfeng" comes from the bark color of the new branches and young trunk which are green.
Image:TenryujiMomiji.jpg|''[[Acer palmatum]]'' trees and bamboo in Japan
Image:Red maple leaf.jpg|''[[Acer palmatum]]'' leaf in [[autumn]]
Image:Maple leaf Fcb981.JPG|''[[Acer platanoides]]'' leaf
Image:Helicopter leaves.jpg|''[[Acer platanoides]]'' (Norway maple) samaras
File:Acer rubrum 1-eheep (5097479399).jpg|''[[Acer rubrum]]'' leaves
File:Red maple.png|''[[Acer rubrum]]'' tree in autumn
Image:Acer sempervirens leaves.jpg|''[[Acer sempervirens]]'' foliage
Image:Autumn Blaze Maple Foliage.jpg|[[Acer × freemanii|''Acer'' × ''freemanii'']] 'Autumn Blaze' (a cross between ''[[Acer rubrum|A. rubrum]]'' and ''[[Acer saccharinum|A. saccharinum]]''
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Acer}}
* [[List of Acer species|List of ''Acer'' species]]
* [[List of Award of Garden Merit maples]]
* [[List of Danish Acers]]
* [[Mazer (drinking vessel)|Mazer]] – a drinking vessel made from maple wood
* [[List of foods made from maple]]

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}<ref>{{Cite book |title=Maples for gardens : a color encyclopedia |publisher=Timber Press |year=1999 |isbn=9780585254579}}</ref>

=== General bibliography ===
* {{cite book|last=Philips|first=Roger|title=Trees of North America and Europe|publisher=Random House, Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-394-50259-0|year=1979|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/treesofnorthamer00phil}}

{{Woodworking}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q42292}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Maple| ]]
[[Category:Plant dyes]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]

Maple - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 18:11, 24 August 2023