Type of maple? Help please!

I'm aware that this will probably be a very annoying question. I'm also aware that I should have better pictures or spring and summer pictures. Anyway, is there anyone that can tell me what type of maple tree this is based off these leaf pictures. I know it's maple but I haven't a clue which type and I can't get any sap to form when I pull a leaf twig, so I can't tell the sap either. All of these came from 4 large maples in my yard. Please help, and thanks in advance.

According to this:


source

That leaf looks like a "Sugar Maple".

i think it may look more like a black maple as shown on that poster. out of curiosity, why are you so keen to identify them?

I want to tap the ones I have. The one those leaves came off is 97 inches in circumference.

I have read here on the forum that any maple tree can be tapped so I ask Mr. Google and yes ...

What Trees Can be Tapped
Maple syrup can be made from any species of maple tree. Trees that can be tapped include: sugar,
black, red and silver maple and box elder trees. Of all the maples, the highest concentration of sugar is
found in the sap of the sugar maple. Generally the ratio of sap to syrup for the sugar maple is 40 to 1 (40
gallons of sap yields one gallon of syrup). Other species of maple have lower concentrations of sugar in
their sap. For example; it may require 60 gallons of box elder sap to produce one gallon of syrup.

https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/destinations/state_parks/maplesyrup_how.pdf

Anne Miller is correct ^
All types of maple can be tapped.
However, I also believe you have a sugar maple tree.


Identifying maple trees purely from their leaf shape isn't always accurate - there are other ways to tell them apart.

Silver/Water maples have a silvery or pale pastel underside to their leaves (very dramatic color difference), and they tend to grow with multiple trunks connected at the base.
Sugar maples tend to have upright single trunks. (Though may have multi-trunks if it regrew from a stump when younger) and the underside of their leaf is only very slightly lighter than the top.

Black maples have petioles (the stems that connect the leaf to the twig) with very fine hairs, like fuzz. Sugar maples have smooth petioles.

Red Maple have a very similar leaf shape to Sugar Maple. HOWEVER! Sugar Maple has smooth margins between the main points, and smooth u-shaped regions between lobe tips. Red Maple leaves have a lot of fine irregular serration around the leaf edges. (your pictures lack this)

Norway maples and Sugar Maples can have VERY similar leaves, but Norway maples have milky sap in their leaf petioles when plucked off the tree. Sugar maple lacks that milky sap.

So, I think you have sugar maple.
If you want to double check, go out and check:
1) if the underside of leaves still on the tree are dramatically lighter than the top. If yes, it may be a silver/water maple.
2) If, when you pluck a leaf off, does the leaf stem have white milky sap? If yes, it's likely a norway maple.

If you answered 'no' to both questions, it's probably a Sugar maple.

I guess my worry is that it's a Sycamore Maple. From what I understand, they're hard to get anything from without a vacuum tap.

Definitely no sycamore maple. Their leaves (at least the ones we have around here) are not nearly that pointy, and the leaf lobes are way wider.

Wait, could it be Southern Sugar Maple/Acer floridanum?

where are you located?

greg mosser wrote:where are you located?

I am in North GA. Banks County area.