This syrup can be called maple syrup, molasses or treacle. It is loved by many people across North America. This sweet syrup is a favorite in many homes because it’s not too thick or sugary.
Maple syrup is made from maple sap. Only a few species of maple trees can produce maple syrup. Maple syrup can be made from the sap of sugar, maple, boxelder, silver, and black maple trees. These trees should be tapped in the early spring to get the best results.
Which maple species can produce syrup? Are there major differences? The sugar maple is just one species that can produce sap. There are many similarities and differences among its relatives. You don’t have to believe us; read on and find out for yourself.
Which 5 Maple Trees Are Best For Syrup?
Sugar maples will be the most popular choice. However, there are four other trees that can fit this category. Maple syrup can be made from many types of trees. However, maple syrup is rare compared to the other varieties that are available.
What trees are capable of producing maple syrup-like sap? These are the most popular maple trees that can be harvested for maple syrup.
Boxelder Maple Tree
Saint John’s University research found that boxelder maples have a higher level of sugar than sugar maples. They actually have 2.59% more sugar than sugar maples, whereas a sugar maple’s average sugar concentration is 1.72%. The sugar content does not necessarily indicate that the flavor will be as good as the public expects. This is unless you like a leafy flavor to the syrup.
Depending on how you turn sap into syrup, it could be eliminated to make maple syrup.
The leaves can help you distinguish this species from the rest. Boxelder leaves are more complex and clustered than the maple’s symmetrically lobed ones. If you spot a tree that looks like it could be a boxelder you might want to look elsewhere before you tap its sap.
Red Maple Tree
The red maple sap is similar to that of the boxelder maple in that it has less sweetness. The red maple sap is less sweet than the boxelder maple because its buds break, or expand into flowers, in spring earlier than the sugar maple.
The sap will be harvested earlier than other maple trees if it is baptized early in the season.
It’s not easy to tell which species of maple trees are different. One way is to look at the color of the samaras (double-winged seeds) that you can identify red maple trees.
You can find more information about the major differences in oak and maple trees by going to
Many maples have samaras that are green in springtime. However, they are noticeably brighter on the red maple tree, which is their host.
Silver Maple Tree
Silver maples are fast-growing and can grow to be quite large. They are therefore a very common species of maple in North America. This tree’s syrup yield often has butterscotch-like flavors. The silver maple is able to hold its own against other species with a more bitter or less developed flavor.
How is a silver maple tree distinguished from its many cousins? This is the answer to the question. Although the leaf is similar in shape to other maple leaves (boxelder’s aside), its coloring helps distinguish it from the Silvermaple.
Have you already guessed it? That’s okay! When viewed from the bottom, the silver maple leaf has a silvery hue which sets it apart from other maple species such as red and black.
This is why the tree is named after the color. It is also a sign that the tree is a silver maple tree.
Black Maple Tree
It is a fascinating one, as it is often called the “black sugar maple”.
The University of Maine notes that some authorities believe the black oak may be a subspecies of sugar maple, rather than a separate species.
Although the black maple is less common than the sugar maple in North America, it is still quite common.
These trees can also cross-pollinate and create hybrids, which is just one more reason why classification can be a bit more difficult for professionals.
Let’s get back to the main question. What does that mean when it comes to the sap of the black maple tree?
Both yes and no.
Although the sap of a black maple has a similar flavor to that of its closely related sugar maple, it produces less overall sap. The flavor of a black maple is very similar to that of a sugar maple, but the overall amount of sap produced is significantly lower.
Sugar Maple Trees Are Best For Syrup
Ok, we’re still talking about sugar maples, but let’s get to the bottom of why they are so beloved for producing sap and syrup.
Although sugar maples can be harvested just like any other broadleaf deciduous or tree, most often maples, there are several reasons why they are a better choice for all your sap-related needs.
Sugar maples have close to 3% sugar content. On average, 2.59% sugar can be expected.
It doesn’t seem like much, does it? It is not hard to understand why the sugar maple syrup is so popular.
Sugar maple sap has a higher yield and better flavor than other types of sugar maple syrup. It also flows longer and is more delicious.
Can You Eat Maple Syrup Straight From The Tree?
Raw sap has been consumed in many ways by humans for longer periods of time than we know. This can be considered acceptable.
This is a good tip for tapping sap trees. Pay attention to the color of your shavings as you drill the tap hole. A healthy sap will follow with light wood shavings, while dark shavings signify that the sap is not suitable for further production.
This applies to raw sap as well as to ensuring that you don’t waste your time processing sap that may not be ideal.
If you want to eat maple syrup straight from the tree, there are some other things you need to be aware of. You can also take a look at our guide to how to eat maple syrup directly from the tree.
4 Steps To Tapping For Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is delicious and wonderful, but it must be extracted before this sweet treat can be enjoyed.
Tapping a sugar maple tree that you already own is a wonderful thing to do. Planting new sugar maples is not a good idea because they can cause problems for other tree species.
We have broken down the steps below. You can tap trees in your area by searching the pages of local governance for information.
1. Tap Your Tree During Early Spring
Sap is best tapped in the early spring months. Because of the temperature fluctuations during the early stages of the season, sap runs more smoothly when tapped on a tree.
Nighttime temperatures should be near or below freezing, while daytime temperatures should hover between 40 and 50 degrees.
Depending on the extreme weather conditions in your area, January to April are the best times to tap your tree. If you’re only tapping one tree, March is the best time to tap it. The late winter/spring is when sap flows more easily.
If you have multiple properties and want to make a lot of syrup, start early. It’s up to you.
When does maple tapping season come to an end?
The season ends when temperatures rise above freezing and the first leaf buds appear. Red maples aren’t as reliable because their buds appear early in the season and leave little time for harvesting their sap.
Remember that the weather conditions in your area will influence when you tap your trees.
2. Find The Right Sized Maple Tree to Tap
A mature tree is the best. You could endanger the tree by drilling too deep into it.
According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, a maple tree must be at least 4ft tall and 10ft in diameter before it can be tapped for sap. Although fully mature trees can handle several taps at once (although it is not recommended to do so), a single tap will yield the best results.
One tap means that the tree is not overworked, and can produce more sap quickly and with better quality long-term.
3. Place The Tap To Get Syrup
Let’s get to the fun part.
The sap tapping hole should be between 2 and 4 feet above the ground. This is why a tree must be at least 4ft tall to tap safely. Your spile (the spout which drains the sap), should be placed slightly upwards.
To reach the sap, the spile should be placed a few inches inside the tree. However, it should not extend beyond the tree as this could cause additional stress. This will allow sap to flow easily into your bucket.
4. Check Your Bucket Frequently For Sap
You should check your bucket at least once per day. You might have enough space in your bucket to collect everything, while other days you might need to check it more often.
It all depends on how big the bucket is. A bucket that holds between 3 and 4 gallons of sap will require more frequent inspections than one holding 1 to 2 gallons. An extra gallon, or two, can make the difference between collecting sap multiple days a week and being able check once daily.
The process of extracting the sap is another story. It will depend on the type of sap you have taken from your tree and how you want your syrup to look, among other things. We hope you find this helpful.
That’s All For Now!
We now know a lot more about tree tapping, including how sap is extracted from trees and what the trees are capable of producing. Maples, while not all trees can produce sap, are worth mentioning for their sweet sugary production.
Sugar maples will always be your best choice when it comes producing syrup and tapping for it.
But, syrup can be produced by black, red, silver and boxelder maples. You can also find maple syrup from other maple trees, but these are the best.
Although they may not yield as much sap as sugar maples, they will still do the job well enough. These species are great if you have one of them in your yard and don’t want to make a lot of syrup, but instead want to create a family project or your own maple syrup jar.
Maple syrup, maple sap, and any other baser products are easy to make, but they add some flavor and fun to any spring day.