BY SAVANNAH HARRIMAN-POTE ’20

Welcome to Flora Affairs, a new column coming to you each month on campus plant life!

With fall colors in full swing, we want to talk about one of the arboreal queens of autumn: the sugar maple! Though majestic year round, our sugar maples show off some of the brightest yellows, oranges and reds on campus during the fall season.

This variety of maple grows across the United States, but flourishes in the colder climates of the Northeast, where it is emblematic of the New England countryside. In fact, the sugar maple is so beloved that both New York and Vermont recognize it as their state tree.

But the sugar maple isn’t just celebrated for its festive foliage. Its tree sap is also used to make maple syrup, a critical export in the northern States and the eastern provinces of Canada. According to the Burlington Free Press, Vermont alone produced roughly 2 million gallons of maple syrup in 2019. By comparison, the Financial Post reported that Quebec produced over 10 million gallons of maple syrup, or roughly 72 percent of Canada’s entire production. In fact, maple syrup is such an important industry in Canada that Quebec keeps a “strategic reserve” valued at 200 million dollars for lean harvest years.

Maple syrup harvesting is all about timing. In order for a sugar maple tree to be tapped successfully, the sap must be flowing laterally through the tree’s xylem. This movement is temperature dependent and only occurs in the small windows of time throughout the year — temperatures must be above freezing during the day, and then dip below freezing at night.

As climate change increases average temperatures across the Northeast, the optimal region for maple syrup production marches north. Additionally, acid rainfall and pests have reduced overall sugar maple populations, creating concerns for the future of the New England maple syrup industry.

Facilities Management estimates that Mount Holyoke has between 200-400 sugar maples across campus. It’s difficult to discern the exact number, given our large amount of forested acreage. But if you want to see the best that our campus has to offer, check out the trees surrounding Mary Lyon’s grave. These spectacular specimens are far enough from the road to avoid rock salt and traffic over their root systems, both of which can be damaging to sugar maples. Head over in the next week to see these trees in all their autumnal glory!

This column is written in collaboration with Mount Holyoke College Botanic Gardens. Particular thanks to Assistant Horticulturist Lily Carone.