Will soft maple simply collapse like a polystyrene cup as its “soft” name implies? It should be obvious that hard maple is harder than soft maple, but you may be wondering how much of a difference there is between the two. But overall, they are not as hard nor as strong as hard maple though for a more exact comparison, continue to the data found in the next section. Some of the most common species of maple that fall under the grouping of soft maple are:Įach of these maples have their own characteristics regarding strength, hardness, weight, etc. (And just as citizens of both the east coast and the west coast each like to assert the superiority of their own respective region, there is almost a rivalry between bigfleaf maple advocates on the west coast, and red maple fans on the east coast.)

For instance, if you live in Oregon, the soft maple that you buy (if it has been harvested locally) will likely be bigleaf maple, while those living in the eastern United States may actually be buying red maple or silver maple. floridanum, respectively.ĭepending on where you live, different species might be sold as soft maple. But these species are far less commonly seen commercially, and they are both so closely related to hard maple that some even consider them to be sub-species of the same tree, classifying them as Acer saccharum subsp. Besides this one species of maple, the only other species that are sometimes considered in the grouping of hard maple in the United States are black maple (Acer nigrum) and Florida maple (Acer floridanum). Hard maple is also known as rock maple or sugar maple, (this is the same tree which is tapped to get maple syrup). Hard Maple, on the other hand, typically refers to one specific type of maple species: Acer saccharum. The term “soft maple” is merely used to differentiate these species from hard maple. The term “soft maple” does not refer to any specific species of maple, but rather, it’s a broad term which includes several different species of maple. Deep, moist, acidic soil results in the healthiest red maples.Perhaps you’ve seen a type of lumber for sale known as “soft maple,” and were wondering: what’s the difference between between this Soft Maple and Hard Maple? Just how soft is it? Why does it cost about half as much as Hard Maple? How can I tell the two apart? Despite their remarkable roots, red maples grow better in some conditions than others. When red maples grow in dry sites, a long taproot and short lateral roots develop. If the tree is placed in wet soil, it grows a short taproot and extensive lateral roots to soak up water at the surface.

Adaptable roots help the red maple to cope with differing soil types. Red maples do well in sunny or shady spots, dry or wet soil, and high or low elevation. A generalist species is one that can tolerate a wide range of habitat conditions and uses many different types of resources. This status can be attributed to the tree’s generalist tendencies. Red maples are perhaps the most abundant tree in the eastern deciduous forest. In the southernmost parts of their range, red maples are a wetland species, which has earned them the nickname “swamp maple.” Lucky bird-watchers might see wood ducks nesting inside cavities of swamp maples. They’re found from Maine west to Minnesota, south to Texas, and east to Florida. Red maples are native to the eastern deciduous forest.

What type of tree is a maple