black maple

Black Maple Acer nigrum
Family: Aceraceae (Maple)
Branching: Opposite

This tree is not overly common, and many consider it to be just a variety of Sugar Maple. At a distance, it doesn't really stand out much, but up close the buds and twigs are usually downy. The leaves have much shallower lobes than Sugar Maple and are downy underneath during the growing season. Most other aspects of the tree are similar to Sugar Maple.

Black Maple winter twig. Buds and twigs are usually somwhat downy

Another view of the winter twig

Ends buds

Black Maple leaf. Similar to Sugar Maple in that its edges are smooth (not toothed)
but with much shallower lobes.

The underside of Black Maple leaves is fuzzy.

Bark can be similar to Sugar Maple, or sometimes Norway Maple