We are beginning to understand that there is not just one peak of Fall colour here in Ontario but waves of colour as the leaves of different trees turn. In our area, the most common hardwood tree, and one that has produced the most colour so far, is the Sugar Maple (acer saccharum).
It is quite easy to identify by its leaves, which have the classic maple shape and on which the maple leafs of the Canadian flag are modelled.
The colours, at least in this area, are less uniformly red than we had imagined but are a mixture of gold, orange and red. In some areas the gold seems to predominate and in others, more orange and red. We are not sure if that is because of differing soil types or genetics.
True to their name, the sugar maple are the maple most commonly used to produce maple sugar and syrup. A number of farmers in Prince Edward County are syrup producers and Andrew is interested in doing that also. We don’t have huge stands of maple on our own property but do have quite a few in fairly dense stands that would likely produce quite a bit of syrup.
And, finally, our favourite sugar maple, a giant in the north part of the property. It is clear from the ladder that still hangs from its branches and the boards beneath it, that children once played in it.
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