Sugar maple sightings surge as fall color peaks across Canada
iNaturalist Community
Phenology
If the maple on your street is turning brilliant red or orange right now, you're seeing exactly what thousands of other observers are logging this week, and adding your own photo helps track how fall color timing shifts year to year.
Sugar maple, the tree famous for maple syrup and fiery fall colors, is having a big week on iNaturalist. Canadians logged 142 sightings in the last seven days, up from 118 the week before, making it one of the most-observed plants in the country right now. The jump almost certainly tracks peak autumn foliage, when the trees' red and orange leaves make them impossible to miss.
Key Findings
142 sugar maple observations recorded in Canada over the past 7 days
That's a 20% increase from 118 observations the previous week
Sugar maple ranks among the most-observed plant species in Canada this week
chevron_right Technical Summary
Canadians logged 142 sightings of sugar maple on iNaturalist in the past week, up from 118 the week before, making it one of the most-spotted plants in the country right now, likely tied to peak fall foliage season.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: sugar maple (Acer saccharum) — 142 observations this week
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a species in the family Sapindaceae. iNaturalist users recorded 142 observations of it in Canada in the 7 days before today, among the most for any plant there. That...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Acer saccharum, the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the primary source of maple syrup and for its brightly colored...