Many of us have maple trees growing under our windows. This mighty tree is unmistakably recognizable by its unique leaf shape, unlike any other plant. In autumn, maple alleys become a real decoration of any city, and yellow maple leaves have become the most recognizable symbol of the onset of autumn. Surely many of your friends have at least one photo with a bunch of yellow and red leaves of this tree, right?
Interesting facts about the maple
- Not only trees are included in this species but also shrubs. True, they are quite high – up to 10 meters.
- In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, coins made of maple wood were put into circulation in 2005.
- The Japanese maple is listed in the Red Book because of its rarity.
- In total, there are 150 species of these trees and shrubs in the world.
- Most maples shed their leaves for the winter, but some species found in Asia and around the Mediterranean Sea are evergreens (interesting facts about Mediterranean Sea).
- North American Indians from the Iroquois tribe had a festival dedicated to the maple.
- Almost all known maple species are used for decorative purposes.
- In Japan, there is a kind of snack, which is prepared from maple leaves soaked in salt for a year, which are then fried in sweet dough (interesting facts about Japan).
- The Canadian flag has a maple leaf, but it only has 11 vertices, making the image unreliable. In fact, maple leaves have many more of them.
- Sweet syrup and even sugar are made from the juice of some types of maple.
- Beekeepers often plant maples near their property, as these trees are excellent honey plants, and they are very fond of bees.
- An old maple tree can reach a height of 40 meters.
- It is maple wood that is most popular with woodcarvers.
- This is one of the fastest growing trees. In a year, maple is able to add up to 1.5-2 meters in height.
- Almost all maples of the world grow only in the Northern Hemisphere. Only one species out of 150 grows in Yuzhny.