One of the maple species that tends to be overshadowed by the red and sugar maples is the black maple (acer nigrum). So-called because of its dark brown trunk, the black maple is a lovely shade tree.
They have a beautiful shape and in autumn, their large green leaves turn a combination of orange, red and yellow.
They are related to the sugar maples to the extent that some botanists consider them to be a subspecies and they can also be tapped for syrup.
They can grow up to 34 metres (112 ft) and will develop a dense crown which encourages people on a hot day to sit underneath with a cool drink.
Happy Wednesday.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 
They are beautiful trees. Great photos.
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Thank you very much, Thomas. They’re all sleeping now until March. Cheers.
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Lovely contrasts xx
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Thank you very much, Jo. 😊
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So lovely. Crisps and gold in one. 🍁🍁
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They really were. The last of the leaves fell a couple of days ago so they’re gone now, sadly. I wish the autumn colours lasted longer.
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I mean **crisps
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They sure get to be huge, and so majestic.
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Definitely. There are a number of mature ones in the parks here and they are huge. They sure aren’t meant for a regular back garden!
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We have an acre here and one of these trees easily blocked the morning sun over most of the property. It was so huge.
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They definitely need room to spread out. They’re so beautiful when they can, though. Lovely to have enough room for one of these.
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beautiful picture 👌
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Thank you. 😊
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A lovely tree, I wonder how this group of trees has managed to have subspecies? 😮
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Yes, it is a lovely tree. Apparently they will cross-pollinate and produce an offspring that has characteristics of both sugar and black maples. The best that I can tell after reading about them is that the black maple is probably a separate species but that there’s also a black maple subspecies, too. Nature is grand!
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I see, that is amazing, Lynette! ❤️
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🌳 😊
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They are so pretty! Do they still bear leaves?
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Yes, they are lovely trees. I sadly saw that the last leaves had dropped off by Monday. Along with the Norway maples and the beeches the black maples were the last to hang on to their leaves. I wish that our autumn colours stayed a bit longer.
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Despite the bit of snow we had, the grass is still green and a few trees are holding on to some of their leaves. Welcome colour on this wet foggy day!
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Yes, we have green grass and there are still some leaves in wind-protected corners, too. I agree, very welcome to still have a bit of colour! Cheers.
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Spectacular foliage. Trees are so diverse and integral to our existence, an incredible blessing to behold.
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The black maples definitely put on a fantastic show! Yes, they are incredibly important, part of the basic structure of all life.
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Thanks for sharing photos and information. 😊
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You’re very welcome. My pleasure. 😊
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Beautiful images, Lynette!
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Thank you very much, Tricia. 😊
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A beautiful tree Lynette. I wish our climate would support more varieties of the maple tree, but I do not think I would like a 34m tall tree in my back yard. 😁Have a great Wednesday. Allan
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Hahaha. 😊 The ones pictured are in one of the waterfront parks and that’s a perfect place for them to spread out and grow beautifully, but agreed, I couldn’t imagine one of these in the back garden. You would need an acreage! The black maples are native to southern Ontario and Québec but are well suited to southern B.C although they need to be close to water. They’ve apparently been tried in southern Alberta but the cold/chinook cycle and dryness tends to get them.
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I can’t immediately picture any maple trees in my area. They turn such beautiful colors. I would go and see them.
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Maples are native to North America but I know of at least one species that is native to Europe – the Norway maple. Many people do take trips to see the maple leaves when they’re at their most beautiful. Cheers.
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They are amazing!
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They’re very beautiful trees.
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These are so beautiful Lynette, I always wanted one in my garden, but they get too big.
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Yes, they’re beautiful trees. The ones pictured are in a big waterfront park where they can spread out and look gorgeous. They’re definitely too big for most gardens unless your garden is an acreage!
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Gorgeous captures of the black maple. I wouldn’t mind one of those in my yard!
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They really are gorgeous Linda, especially when they spread out. They eventually become huge though, so you would probably need a large garden! Cheers.
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