Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum) – The silver maple is very similar to the red maple – except that the attractive green leaves have silver undersides and turn pale yellow or brown, not red, in the fall. The silver maple is a large tree that can grow to be over 70’ tall and up to 50’ wide so make sure you give this tree some space. Bark on the silver maple’s trunk is smooth and gray when the tree is young, and then becomes dark reddish brown and breaks into strips that peel off at either end and make the trunk look “shaggy”. Sometimes, the trunks of silver maples are hollow, creating space for animals and birds to live in.
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) – Canada’s national tree & possibly the best shade tree for fall colors ranging from gold to burnt orange to red. Shapely and neat, a truly stately tree is adaptable to soils, but dislikes air pollution and compaction. Sugar Maples have lobed green leaves throughout the season before turning the magnificent fall colours it is known for. Every landscape should have a place for one of these aristocrats.
Oak
Oak trees are one of the most common trees in the Northern Hemisphere and some of the oldest living trees around the world. Oak trees all share some similar characteristics and are divided in two main groups – White Oaks and Red Oaks. They are generally easily identified by the leaf shape with White Oaks having rounded leaves and Red Oaks having more pointed leaves. The mighty Oak trees have such strong branches, they can grow up to 135’ long. Because of their elegant stature, some being more upright, oaks are a prized type of tree in any landscape.
