When Do Maple Trees Bloom?

Maple trees belong belong to the genus acer and are widely dispersed throughout the northern hemisphere. Maples are important for timber and sugar production. Smaller varieties are often planted as ornamental trees. Maple trees produce flowers, though usually smaller ones that are not suitable for decorative purposes.

Types

The exact time that a maple tree flower will bloom depends on the type of maple tree and its geographic region. For example, a sugar maple's flowers can appear anytime from March to May based on its location. The variety of maple is also important. In Ohio for instance, black maple typically blooms in April, mountain maple in June.

Exception

Although most maple trees flower between March and June, the silver maple is an exception. The silver maple can bloom as early as February in some instances.

Misconceptions

Spring foliage usually appears before the flowers in most plants. This is not always the case with maples. The box elder, a species of maple native to North America, produces flowers that appear before the tree's foliage.