SUGAR SAUNA

We all say we like the seasons, and granted I know I would miss them if I ever moved away, but no one truly, I mean really truly, likes the cold that makes it all possible. Granted brisk weather can be nice in limited doses, when you can go outside for a bit and escape back to some place warm and cozy once you've had your fill. But to say we embrace the gray, stale, sub-freezing (or in some cases sub-zero) days of winter in the same way that we do fresh sunny days of spring is just being dishonest, delusional or both..... There is after all a pretty good reason why we don't all go on picnics in mid-February. But, while cold weather alone might be pretty unforgiving, there is absolutely nothing like the feeling of stepping out of the bitter cold into some place warm. It's this feeling that makes the cold not only tolerable, but well worth all the numb fingers and frozen boogers that comes along with the territory. Pair this juxtaposition with an intoxicatingly sweet fragrance and BOOM!, you got yourself one of the strongest memories I have from when I was growing up.



As it so happened one of my mom's best friend's family made maple syrup semi-professionally, and I was lucky enough to be able to tag along every so often when they tapped trees, granted I wasn't always super thrilled about it (there's only so much standing around in the damp March cold watching your friend's dad drill holes in trees that an 8 year old can take), but the part that made it all worth it came later when they actually got around to boiling the sap in the little sugarhouse they had built themselves. Given that this was really only a one person job (if that) I wasn't able to partake quite as often as the tree tapping, which made the times I actually got to go in the sugarhouse that much more awesome. There was one pretty damn cold and soggy night that stands out for me when I had come to stay the night and got sent down to the sugarhouse to help. The instant I opened to door to the little shack I was enveloped by a thick sugary steam. The contrast of going from a damp cold night (still plenty if snow on the ground mind you), to a relatively small, warm, nearly glowing space is pretty much indescribable, but an experience a highly recommend.



Unfortunately for me, and the rest of the northeastern United States, maple sugaring may be a dying industry. And while the science behind why this is happening involves a bit more detail than I am willing to go into on here.... if you want an in depth explaination you can find it here, here, or here. But the long and short of it is the sugaring industry is ultimately getting hit from both ends, the trees at the center of it all (Sugar Maples) are gradually getting more and more stressed with each passing growing season (which equates to less sugar production) and then the time to harvest (the time between when the sap first starts flowing and when the buds begin to break) is getting shorter and shorter. While this doesn't necessarily speak to the long term ecological viability of North-Eastern Sugar Maples (Acer saccharum) as a whole, it doesn't hurt to stop and appreciate the species before the industry moves north of the border all together.


Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple
Hardiness: Zone (3)4-8
Size: 60-75', spread is generally 2/3 the height, but vaiable.
Bark: Smooth and gray-brown in youth, furrowed and scaly in old age.
Purchase from: Clear Ridge Nursery, Cold Stream Farm, Forestfarm, Maple Creek Nursery, New England Wetland Plants Inc., Plant and Gnome, Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm, Toadshade Wildflower Farm, Tree Seeds for Sale, University of Idaho Forest Research Nursery, White Oak Nursery

As far as New England-i-ness goes this tree ranks right up there with Tsuga canadensis (Canadian Hemlock) and Betula populifolia (Gray Birch). In almost every quaint autumn image of some red, white-framed barn you can bet there's some sugar maple nearby in full fall regalia. Unfortunately for the horticulture industry sugar maples are not very accommodating when it comes to culture and they are particularly adverse to urban conditions (pollution, high ph, salt, heavily compacted and/or overly saturated soils). But, as long as you meet its basic needs, Sugar Maples will prove to be a top notch and long lived shade trees. One should be aware, when considering cultivars, that the species has a few kissing cousins that often contribute to (or in some instances actually are) misnamed cultivars of A. saccharum. The most common culprit often mislabeled as A. saccharum is A. nigrum (Black Maple) which has a similar distribution to the species and is often quite difficult to identify. According to the literature this tree is a bit more forgiving of inhospitable growing conditions. The other two species (A. barbatum and A. leucoderme) are southern representatives of the sugar maple clan and are sometimes listed as subspecies, but act more as smaller understory trees in their native ranges.

Despite the fact that A. saccharum will most likely never replace Honey Locust, or Bradford Pear as the next "go to" urban street tree there are quite a few cultivars out there and even though I can't say I've grown any of 'em thought I'd list a few of the standouts.

Cultivars:

Acer saccharum 'Crescendo' (aka 'Morton' also formerly listed as A. nigrum 'Morton')
Most likely derived from western seed stock. Good heat and drought tolerance.


Acer saccharum 'Caddo'
A general catchall used to describe stock derived from one of the western most populations of A. saccharum. Selections derived from this population exhibit superior drought and heat tolerance. Named cultivars include 'Flashfire,'aka 'JFS-Caddo2.'


Acer saccharum 'Laciniatum'
May not be a legitimate cultivar. This may be a general term for all wild individuals with deeply incised foliage.


Acer saccharum 'Legacy'
Based on all the literature, this seems to be one of the superior selections of sugar maple. Dense rounded outline. Thick waxy leaves. Good fall color and excelent drought resistance.

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Acer saccharum 'Mountain Park'
A hardier selection (zone 3), with uniform branching and mildew resistant foliage. Briliant fall color.


Acer saccharum 'Northern Flare'
Another zone 3 selection tolerant of cold, heat, and drought. Good selection for the plain states.

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Acer saccharum 'Summer Proof'
A heat tolerant wide-spreading selection. Does not suffer from windburn.


Acer saccharum 'Sweet Shadow'
Perhaps a vigorous selection of 'Laciniatum.' Rounded to vase shaped outline.


Acer saccharum 'Temple's upright'
One of the better upright selections, very narrow, with the unique characteristic of maintaining its central leader as it ages.


Acer saccharum 'Wright Brothers' (fomerly 'Moraine')
Another good zone 3 selection with excelent fall color

These and other cultivars of Sugar Maple can be purchased from these retail sources:
Forest Farm, Nature Hills, Sooner Plant Farm

BLOG UPDATE:
Saw this video this past week and I got a little sick.... I know it might have its place, but YUCK!!! (wait till the second half of the video)

PERSISTENCE, MOSS, MEXICAN JUMPING BEANS, AND OAKS..... (MOSTLY OAKS)

Humanity has a general tendency to confuse living with thriving... and this misconception bleeds in to our subconscious, trickles into our perceptions and blinds us to those fortunate individuals who have adopted a less auspicious way of living.... persisting. Persistence and the act of simply existing is, and seemingly increasingly so, under-rated. There's an unfortunate reason why the Rock Cap Moss (Dicranum) growing in the parking lot across from my apartment will never make the front cover of the new spring mail-order catalogue.



Somehow in our collective subconscious we've irrevocably linked persistence with insignificance. While this superficial linkage isn't surprising, it is beyond short sighted. Just because something exists outside of the human timescale doesn't make it less important, in fact it is often quite the contrary. For those individuals that persists beyond the short decades that humanity uses to measure our own mortality, they often possess an unparalleled resiliency that is honed over eons.

So in the spirit of resiliency and persistence, this week I honor the oaks I grew up with, after all, its this time of year where the end of winter is just barely in sight, where all you can do really is just persist, and oaks seem to be pretty damn good at it. Oaks as a genus have managed to spread themselves across the northern hemisphere from cool temperate to tropical areas. In eastern north america we have two distinct evolutionary groups: Red Oaks (Quercus, section Lobatae) and White Oaks (Quercus, section Quercus). The main difference being the time it takes for the acorns to mature (Red Oaks, 18 months and White Oaks, 6 months..... in case anyone cares). The genus itself branched off from the chestnuts (genus Castanea) around 60 millions years ago and during this time oaks have formed a pretty amazing relationship with a group of insects called gall wasps..... and if you'd ever wondered what the f$#@k Mexican jumping beans are, they're actually are a variety of oak gall. And before I go off on any more of tangent, here are the oaks of New England:


Quercus bicolor, Swamp White Oak
Height: 50-60'
Spread: 50-60'
Figured I'd start with one of the most ubiquitous oaks of my childhood (given that most of my childhood consisted of mucking around in the town swamp that was my backyard). If there ever were a symbol of persistence and resiliency this tree is it. Adaptable to a wide range of moisture levels, soil type, ph (acid to slightly alkaline), and temperature (one of the most cold hardy oaks next to burr oak), the only thing this tree isn't a fan of is shade. This and Q. macrocarpa hybridize readily in the wild. These hybrids, considering the traits of their parents, may hold significant horticultural value.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Maple Creek Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, Nearly Native Nursery, New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery


Quercus palustris, Pin Oak
Height: 60-70'
Spread: 25-40'
Another oak of swampy haunts, this oak is almost impossible to miss, even when speeding by it on the freeway during a blizzard (I speak from experience). While, as it ages, it loses its distinctive and strongly layered pyramidal structure, during the first 35 years or so of its life it adheres to this blueprint pretty rigidly. Great tree for fall color. Tolerant of wet soils, intolerant of high ph (typically, when you see a planted Pin Oak struggling in the landscape, it most likely has to do with high pH). Despite the ph sensitivity, one of the easiest of oaks to transplant.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Greenwood Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery


Quercus ilicifolia, Bear or Scrub Oak
Height: less than 30'
Spread: less than 30'
Q. ilicifolia will probably never replace Honeylocust one of the worlds most popular street trees (it doesn't usually get much over 25 feet tall and always seems to have an excess of low hanging branches), but it is an interesting oak nonetheless. If you've ever driven around Cape Cod it's what makes Cape Cod so uuum.... aaaah, Cape Coddy? Given the harsh sterile dry environment it usually grows in, a younger tree can often look like much older than you would guess, despite its short stature. Additionally, given the overall proportions of the tree, I have often been fooled many times into thinking a 15-20 foot tree was at least twice its actual size.
Purchase from: Forest Farm, Nearly Native Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery


Quercus rubra, Red or Northern Red Oak
Height: 60-75'
Spread: 60-75'
If you say oak, at least in the northeast, the image that pops into peoples heads most likely is a near spitting image of a Red Oak (whether they realize it or not). As with pin oak, intolerant of high ph, but unlike pin oak, also intolerant of waterlogged soil. Prefers things on the drier side. Overall a beautiful long lived tree with decent fall color (but not quite as vibrant as Pin Oak.... think i might be preferential). For an oak, relatively easy to transplant.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Greenwood Nursery, Maple Creek Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, Nearly Native Nursery, New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery


Quercus alba, White Oak
Height: 50-80'
Spread: 50-80'
A BIG oak, and big tree in general. I don't like to make wine comparisons, cause I really, eally hate wine, but at least in youth there is nothing special about this tree. Fall color is querky and unpredictable, and sometimes non-existant. But, if you are looking for something majestic (although you might have to wait a while) this is the oak for you. Almost as adaptable as swamp white, but minus the swamp part (won't tolerate water-logged soils).
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Maple Creek Nursery, Naturally Native Nursery, White Oak Nursery


Quercus coccinea, Scarlet Oak
Height: 50-70'
Spread: 40-50'


Quercus velutina, Black Oak
Height: 50-70'
Spread: 40-50'

Sooo I have to be honest, I don't really know that much about these two oaks. Mainly because I'm still not entirely sure what the actual difference is between them. Neither are prevalent in Northern New England, and although I've seen both I don't remember anything particularly memorable about them. Leaves very much like pin oak, and similar in size... but like its other relative (Red Oak) both like it on the drier side. Also both difficult to transplant. On the plus side Q. coccinea has (as its name would suggest) brilliant fall color and while not exceptionally drought tolerant, Q. velutina supposedly performs pretty admirably in the heat of the south.
Purchase Q. coccinea from: Forest Farm, Shooting Star Nursery
Purchase Q. velutina from: New England Wetland Plants, Inc., Shooting Star Nursery


Quercus macrocarpa, Bur Oak
Height: 60-80'
Spread: 60-80'
This oak has a fairly curious distribution in New England and is limited to fairly isolated populations in the northern and western parts of the region. Beyond its interesting distribution, Q. macrocarpa, is pretty adaptable, almost to the extent of Q. bicolor, and while not as tolerant of water-logged soils, it has one of the widest ph tolerances of any of our native oaks. While this characteristic gives it great potential as an urban street tree, it is unfortunately extremely difficult to transplant onces it gets to any substantial size. This and Q. bicolor hybridize readily in the wild. These hybrids, considering the traits of their parents, may hold significant horticultural value.
Purchase from: Cold Stream Farm Forest Farm, Maple Creek Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm, White Oak Nursery


Quercus muehlenbergii, Chinkapin or Yellow Chestnut Oak
Height: 40-60'
Spread: 50-70'
One of those oaks, that doesn't really look like an oak, and it gets its name from its former (now nearly extinct) distant second cousin twice removed, the American Chestnut, and like the once great American Chestnut, quite drought tolerant. Prefers well drained, sandy soils, and its ph adaptability is right up there with Q. macrocarpa.
Purchase from: Sooner Plant Farm, Lazy S'S Farm Nursery


Quercus prinus (syn. Q. montana), Chestnut or Basket Oak
Height: 60-70'
Spread: 60-70'
Similar to the above in leaf, and culture, but (at least according to Dirr) has a lot more potential as a cultivated tree, not only for general drought tolerance, but how well it seems to transplant. Slightly larger than Q. muehlenbergii, and leaves are a darker green. Also apparently hard to beat if you looking for edible acorns, apparently they're pretty good.
Purchase from: Forest Farm, Toadshade Wildflower Farm


Quercus phellos, Willow Oak
Height: 40-60'
Spread: 30-40'
And finally a very Un-New England oak, but after seeing it on the streets of Philadelphia growing in what could barely be called soil, looking happy and thriving it seemed wrong not to give it a shout-out. Despite reaching only as far north as Southern New York, Q. phellos (if the right stock is selected) can be hardy into zone 5. Stratified structure much like its relative (Q. palustris), but leaves more like the southern evergreen oaks (simple, narrowly elliptical).
Purchase from: Forest Farm, Greenwood Nursery, Shooting Star Nursery, Sooner Plant Farm

And all the other east coast oaks.....
Quercus imbricaria, Shingle Oak
Quercus marilandica, Blackjack Oak
Quercus michauxii, Swamp Chestnut Oak
Quercus nigra, Water Oak
Quercus prinoides Dwarf Chestnut Oak
Quercus stellata, Post Oak

And just in case you ever need a quick primer: