12 Common Types of Maple Trees in Canada

There are more than 100 Maple tree species across the world. Canada is home to some of the most popular ones, including the Sugar Maple, whose leaf is the national symbol of the country. If you plan on planting these trees in your garden in Canada, read on to learn about them!

Canada is home to a wide variety of Maple Trees. At least ten of these trees are native to Canada. These include the Sugar Maple, Silver Maple, Black Maple, Red Maple, Mountain Maple, Bigleaf Maple, Douglas Maple, and more.

Maple Trees are beautiful, ornamental trees grown for their popular fall foliage that develops striking hues of crimson, orange, and yellow. Most of these trees also provide ample shade thanks to their dense crown decked with large leaves. The wood of maple trees is typically light in color and is used for flooring, woodwork, furniture, plywood, and even firewood. Maple Trees are also responsible for giving us the delectable maple syrup. 

Most Maple Trees can reach a medium to tall height between 30 to 70 feet. However, some varieties are smaller shrubs that only grow up to 30 feet tall. These trees are typically grown in public parks and residential properties as they attract wildlife. Plus, most of them are quite easy to grow and can handle droughts. 

So, without any ado, let’s take a look at the types of Maple Trees in Canada! 

1. Red Maple (Acer Rubrum)

Red maple
Doc Searls Red maple

Red Maple is a deciduous, medium-sized tree that grows 40 to 50 feet tall and features a rounded to oval crown. Native to Eastern North America, this tree is decked with red-tinged, pointy-edged, and medium to dark green leaves that turn red in fall. It produces red blossoms that give way to a two-winged samara. This cold-hardy tree thrives in moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soils and full sun. 

2. Bigleaf Maple (Acer Macrophyllum)

Acer macrophyllum
Tom Brandt Acer macrophyllum

Bigleaf Maple is a 40 to 75 feet tall, deciduous tree with a broad-rounded or oval crown. It’s the largest Maple Tree found in North America. It features huge, deeply lobed, and medium to deep green leaves that turn yellow to yellow-orange in fall. This tree produces abundant pendulous clusters of scented, tiny, greenish-yellow blossoms. Bigleaf Maple grows well in well-drained, moist, slightly acidic soils and full sun to part shade. 

3. Vine Maple (Acer Circinatum)

Acer circinatum
Wendy Cutler Acer circinatum

Vine Maple is a broadleaf, deciduous, 10 to 20 feet tall, multi-stemmed tree with a spreading crown. It features opposite, heart-shaped, deeply lobed, doubly toothed leaves that turn red, yellow, and orange in fall. Its greenish-white blossoms appear in clusters and give way to two-winged, deep red fruits. 1this tree thrives in shade and moist soils.  

4. Mountain Maple (Acer Glabrum)

Mountain Maple is a 30 feet tall, multi-stemmed, deciduous, upright tree with yellowish-green, 5-petaled flowers and winged fruits. It is decked with deeply lobed, coarsely double-toothed, green leaves with blue-green undersides and red petioles. The foliage turns yellow in fall. This tree thrives in well-drained, organic, acidic soil and full sun to part shade.

5. Manitoba Maple (Acer Negundo)

Acer negundo
Andrey Zharkikh Acer negundo

Manitoba Maple is a fast-growing, deciduous, 30 to 50 feet tall tree with an irregular, rounded habitat. It features distinctive odd-pinnate, compound, medium green leaves and greenish-yellow spring blossoms that grow in pendulous clusters. The blooms give way to abundant samaras. This tree grows well in medium to wet soils and full sun. 

6. Rocky Mountain Maple (Acer Glabrum)

Acer glabrum
Matt Lavin Acer glabrum

Rocky Mountain Maple is a multi-stemmed, 5 to 6.5 feet tall, delicate shrub with erect branches, rounded twigs, and a narrow crown. It produces small clusters of greenish-yellow flowers. This tree features coarsely and sharply toothed, lobed, reddish leaves that turn light green and then reddish-orange before dropping. 

7. Douglas Maple (Acer Glabrum)

Douglas Maple
J Brew Douglas Maple

Douglas Maple is an Acer Glabrum cultivar. It’s a 30 feet tall multi-stemmed tree with young, reddish twigs and 3-5 loved, toothed green leaves. Unlike Vine Maple, Douglas Maple can withstand drier, open sites and colder temperatures. It features greenish-yellow blossoms that give way to v-shaped samaras. It has striking yellow, crimson, and orange fall foliage. 

8. Black Maple (Acer Nigrum)

Acer nigrum
Daderot Acer nigrum

Black Maple is a graceful, 60 to 80 feet tall tree with a rounded, dense crown. It features deep green, drooping leaves with downy undersides. The foliage turns yellow-brown in fall. This tree produces drooping clusters of yellowish-green flowers that give way to winged samaras. It grows well in well-drained, moist, mineral-rich soil and full sun or light shade. 

9. Moosewood or Striped Maple (Acer Pensylvanicum)

Acer pensylvanicum
Isfisk Acer pensylvanicum

Striped Maple is a shrubby, understory, 15 to 25 feet tall tree with an uneven yet rounded crown. Its greenish bark and trunk are marked with distinctive white stripes, hence the name Striped Maple. It features three-lobed, obovate, double-serrulate, dark green leaves that turn bright yellow in fall. This tree produces pendulous racemes of tiny, yellow blossoms. It thrives in part shade and well-drained, slightly acidic, consistently moist soils. 

10. Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)

Acer saccharum
F.D. Richards Acer saccharum

Sugar Maple is a 40 o 80 feet tall, deciduous tree with a dense, rounded crown. It features medium green leaves ad two-winged samaras. This tree has brilliant yellow-orange fall foliage. It grows well in fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic, moist soils and full sun to partial shade. The leaf of this tree is the national symbol of Canada. 

11. Silver Maple (Acer Saccharinum)

Acer saccharinum
James St. John Acer saccharinum

Silver Maple is a fast-growing, 50 to 80 feet tall tree with an open, rounded, spreading crown. It features clusters of greenish-yellow blooms that give way to paired samaras. It has deeply lobed, light green leaves with silvery undersides. Silver Maple thrives in moist soils and full sun to part shade. 

12. Mountain Maple (Acer Spicatum) 

Acer spicatum
Jill Lee Acer spicatum

Acer Spicatum is a deciduous, 10 to 25 feet tall, shrub or small tree with a spreading crown, slender branches, and a short trunk. It features coarse-edged, opposite, simple, light green leaves with downy undersides. This tree has brilliant red, orange, and yellow fall foliage. This slow-growing tree needs well-drained, cool, moist soil and full sun to partial shade.