Maple ID

[erob914]

I am wanting to transplant a number of maple saplings growing wild on my property. I want to make sure they are maples, however.
It is my understanding that maple and sweetgum trees this small (1 to 2 feet tall) look very similar. The only difference I can see is that maples have opposite limbs and sweetgums have alternating limbs. Is this correct?
I would also like to know if I can pot them and grow them inside over the winter to protect them or do they need their winter dormancy and exposure to the winter elements to grow properly. thanks for the help.

Eric

 

[Dan F]

Eric-
You would probably be better off (time ahead) to just transplant them after dormancy comes, rather than potting them. You are bound to loose a few, either by natural causes or the d*mn brown long-legged, antlered rats that roam around and eat everything.

As for distinguishing them from each other, I can't picture their structure well enough in my head to give you a good answer. Check out this website though, click on "ornamentals" and do a search. You should be able to find pictures with some info relating to them. Genus name for Maple is Acer, genus for sweetgum (somebody correct me if I'm wrong, I need to go to BED!) is Liquidamber (I may have spelled that wrong...

Sweetgum will get a "winged" formation on the bark once it gets a slight bit bigger, it may even have it at that age, I dunno. Maples will be smooth until they get a lot closer to maturity. HTH!

Here's the URL:
http://plantfacts.osu.edu/images.lasso


Dan

 

[DadF]

It's "liquidambar" (Harrison Flint would be proud)and yes the sweet gums are alternate branched while the maples are opposite. I'll go along with every thing else that Young'un had to say.

 

[erob914]

I have checked out a few books and websites and have only found pictures and discriptions of mature trees not the sapling version of them. The maples I have growing now are all less than a year old. Is there any websites that id trees and other plants for that matter in their beginning stages?
Thanks for the replys. I will check out the site after I finish this post.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

If you post a picture, we can identify it!

 

[erob914]

From what I have found on the Ohio State University website I am sure that the trees in question are maple trees. I also have quite a few sweetgum trees sprouting up here and there. With both of them in front of me I can see the difference between them.
The website gives a description of 1st year growth which matches what my trees look like from top to bottom since they are less than a year old.