Acer nigrum
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 Illustration from 1913's Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada
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| Acer nigrum F.Michx. |
Acer nigrum (English Black Maple) is a species of maple closely related to the Sugar Maple ([[Acer saccharum|A. saccharum]]), and treated as a variety or subspecies of it by some authors. Identification can be confusing due to the tendency of the two species to form hybrids. The simplest and most accurate method for distinguishing between the two trees is the 3-lobed leaves of the Black Maple versus the 5-lobed leaves of the Sugar Maple. The leaves of the Black Maple also tend to have a "droopy" appearance. Other differences that are not as pronounced include darker, more deeply grooved bark, slightly smaller seeds, and thicker leaf stems.
The geographic range of A. nigrum is slightly more limited than the Sugar Maple, encompassing much of the northeastern United States and the extreme southeast of Canada in southern Ontario.
This species is used similarly to the A. saccharum, for timber and for maple syrup production.
