Woody > Acer > Acer saccharum > Acer saccharum subsp. skutchii
Acer saccharum
ssp. skutchii
Cloud Forest Sugar Maple, Mexican Sugar Maple
Origin: Guatemala and Mexico (Chiapas, Coahuila, Jalisco and Tamaulipas).
| Family |
| Sapindaceae (Aceraceae) |
| Genus |
| Acer |
| Species |
| saccharum |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| Subspecies |
| skutchii |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 8b - 9a |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 44 - 17 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 122 |
| Height |
| 12 - 15 m |
| Spread |
| 20 - 30 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| The tree was described in Guatemala in 1936 a relic from the Miocene era. It is the southern most sugar maple species. It is one of the more rare Sugar maples in the Sapindaceae. |
| Cultivation |
| Drought tolerant, grows well without irrigation and can grow in acidic or alkane soils. Thrives in limestone based soils. Adapts well to sunny locations. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| Pests |
| Root rot. Animals rub off the bark which exposes the phloem to rotting. |
| Habitat |
| Grows in the Mexican and Guatemala Cloud forest. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| When young it has smooth grey bark, as it ages the bark starts to grow malty layered crevasses in the bark and the colour changes from grey to brown. |
| Flower Description |
| The samara is the largest of any other Sugar Maple with a length of 4.5 cm. |
| Colour Description |
| Foliage is bronze or a light purple/dark pink and then turns a darker green. In the autumn months it turns yellow, orange and red. |
| Texture Description |
| Medium. |
| Propagation |
| Has only 20% rooting or survival rate from cuttings. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Used as a source of sugar for the locals and its wood is used in construction. |
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