Tree Seed Sugar Maple - Ontario Seed Company

Sugar Maple Tree

Canada’s maple syrup tree! Sugar maple is native to the eastern half of North America and produces a sturdy, stately tree that provides us with maple syrup in spring, luscious shade in the summer and beautiful yellow, red and orange leaves in fall. The hard wood from sugar maple is used for specific use flooring, cabinetry, furniture, sporting goods such as bows and surprisingly the highest grade pool cues that can be had! Sugar maple typically makes its best growth on deep, well drained loam dominated soil and typically grows to between 15-25 m in height. Sugar Maple makes a superb specimen tree in the landscape. For many native and perennial plants, late fall is the best time to sow seed directly outside. Why you ask? Simply put, many of these plants produce seed that is viable but dormant. This means allowing seeds to naturally stratify over winter will “wake up” the dormant seed for best results.

How to Grow

Stratification of tree seed occurs naturally outdoors through the winter. Sow 6 mm deep, directly outdoors late fall. Sowing tree seeds outdoors in the fall takes advantage of this natural effect. To stratify indoors, mix the seed with a moistened, sterile, peat based growing medium in a container, wrap in a ventilated bag, and place it in a refrigerator for 12 to 20 weeks. In the spring plant the seed in a sheltered spot outside to grow into seedlings.

Another method: Cold stratify the seed: mix scarified seed into a sterile, moistened peat moss based potting soil. Cover with lid or wrap in a plastic bag and freeze solid for two months. Remove lid/plastic. Place under lights for germination at 23° C. Germination is sporadic.

Transplant to permanent site when well rooted.

Approx. 10 seeds/pkt