A family in Thunder Bay, Ont., has been tapping a decades-old silver maple tree in their front yard each spring for the last four years. Now it's a trend across the neighbourhood.

A bucket collects sap from a maple tree Saturday, March 8, 2025, during the Maple Syrup Festival at the John R. Park Homestead.© Julie ...

But that resemblance is just one of the Norway maple’s cunning tricks. For all the European tree’s outward charm, foresters damn its name.

Maple trees are known for their sap that makes the sweet syrup people put on their pancakes and waffles. But there are several ways to enjoy the tree that aren't quite as sticky.

Trees must reach a certain size before they are ready to tap, no smaller than 10-12 inches in diameter at chest height. Syrup makers usually use one tap for trees 12 to 18 inches in diameter, two ...

Anthracnose, a fungal disease affecting maple trees, is prevalent in Greater Columbus due to the cool, wet spring. The disease causes brown leaf spots, curling leaves and premature leaf drop, but ...

As a thin-bark tree, Japanese maple is subject to damage from the freeze-thaw cycle in colder climates. To prevent injury, wrap tree bark in late fall and remove in early spring (this will also ...

Comments By Katherine McPhillips 12:21, Sun, Apr 6, 2025 Updated: 12:27, Sun, Apr 6, 2025 Pruning Japanese maple tree in spring can help them grow thicker branches with lots of buds (Image: Getty) ...