How To Identify A Maple And A Japanese Maple

There are several ways to tell the difference between Japanese, red and sugar maples, but observing their leaf shape is the easiest way to differentiate.

Japanese maple leaves have 5-7 serrated lobes with deep incisions, while red and sugar maple leaves have 3-5 lobes with shallow incisions.  The lobes of Japanese maple are hand-like and much more slender than red and sugar maple.

How to identify a maple and a Japanese maple

Leaf shape

Japanese maple leaves have pointed, tail-like tips and are deeply lobed with incisions that extend almost up to the joint of the stem.

Both red maple and sugar maple are slightly lobed, but while red maple has pointed tips, sugar maple has blunt ones.  Red and sugar maple incisions are not as apparent as that of Japanese maple’s.

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Number of lobes

Japanese maple has 5-7 lobes while red maple and sugar maple have 3-5 lobes.

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Leaf margin

Leaf margins of Japanese maple and red maple are irregularly serrated, while those of sugar maple are smooth (no serration).

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Buds

• Japanese maple buds are broadly conical and green/red.
• Red maple buds are rounded and red, and side buds are as large as terminal buds.
• Sugar maple buds are sharply pointed and brown, and side buds are much smaller than terminal buds.

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Samaras

Japanese maple samaras are green with horizontal wings.  Red maple samaras are bright red with wings like a fly while sugar maple samaras are green with large round seeds.

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Differences between Japanese, red and sugar maples (table)

Here are the differences between Japanese, red and sugar maples in a table format.

	Japanese maple	Red maple	Sugar maple
Latin name	Acer palmatum	Acer rubrum	Acer saccharum
Native to	Japan, Korea, China	North America	North America
Plant type	Deciduous	Deciduous	Deciduous
Height	50 ft (15m)	100 ft (30m)	40-120 ft (12-36m)
Width	30 inches (80cm)	18 to 35 inches (46-88 cm)	30 to 60 inches (80-160 cm)
Leaf size	1-2 inches (3-7cm)	2-4 inches (5-10 cm)	3-6 inches (8-16cm)
Leaf shape	Deeply lobed/ pointed tips	Slightly lobed/ pointed tips	Slightly lobed/ blunt tips
No. of lobes	5-7 lobes	3-5 lobes	3-5 lobes
Leaf margin	Serrated	Serrated	Smooth
Leaf color	Various	Green to red	Green to red
Buds	Conical and green/red	Rounded & red	Pointed & brown
Samaras	Green/red	Bright red	Green
Bark	Light gray & smooth	Dark gray & rough	Light gray & rough
Syrup	No (possible)	Yes	Yes

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Reference
University of North Carolina Extension Gardener (Japanese maple / red maple/ sugar maple)
bplant.org