Acer barbatum Michx.
Southern sugar maple, Florida maple, Caddo maple, Rock maple
Aceraceae (Maple Family)
Synonym(s): Acer barbatum var. longii, Acer barbatum var. villipes, Acer floridanum, Acer floridanum var. longii, Acer floridanum var. villipes, Acer nigrum var. floridanum, Acer saccharinum var. floridanum, Acer saccharum ssp. floridanum, Acer saccharum var. floridanum, Saccharodendron barbatum, Saccharodendron floridanum
USDA Symbol: ACBA3
A small, spreading tree, Florida maple or Southern sugar maple is smaller in all parts but otherwise similar to A. saccharum, the sugar maple of the northeastern U.S. Its fall color is usually yellow and not as vibrant as the northern form. It grows 20-25 ft. tall.
From the Image Gallery
Plant CharacteristicsDuration: Perennial
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Margin: Lobed
Size Notes: Medium sized tree to 60 feet, elliptical crown.
Leaf: Green above, paler and fuzzy below.
Autumn Foliage: yes
Flower: Small flowers hang from a long (1 to 2 inches) stalk in clusters of a few flowers.
Fruit: Samara 3/4 inch long, mature in mid-summer.
Size Class: 36-72 ft.
Bloom InformationBloom Color: Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: Apr
DistributionUSA: AL , AR , FL , GA , IL , LA , MO , MS , NC , SC , TN , TX , VA
Native Distribution: Piedmont & Coastal Plain areas of VA to FL, w. to southeast Kansas, eastern OK, & eastern TX
Native Habitat: Stream, river banks
Growing ConditionsWater Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Rich, moist soils.
Conditions Comments: Southern sugar maple is resistant to wind and ice.
PropagationPropagation Material: Seeds
Description: Propagation is possible by seed.
Seed Collection: The winged fruit of maples is called a samara. Seed is usually not extracted from the samara.
Seed Treatment: For maximum germination, most maple species require a period of warm-moist stratification followed by cool stratification.
Commercially Avail: yes
From the National Organizations DirectoryAccording to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:
Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Georgia Native Plant Society - Atlanta, GA
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
BibliographyBibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
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Additional resourcesUSDA: Find Acer barbatum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Acer barbatum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Acer barbatum
MetadataRecord Modified: 2015-07-22
Research By: TWC Staff