Happy Canada Day!! Do you know what kind of leaf is on the Canadian flag?
While the leaf on the flag is based on the sugar maple there are many types of maple in Ontario.
Some maples are native which means they are types or species
of plants that have been in Ontario for hundreds of years and they belong here.
But some types of maples are invasive meaning they came from another county or
continent and grow here and are bad for the other native plants around here.
However some species can be from another place and grow here but are not bad
for the other plants in the area, these species are called ‘introduced’.
Some examples of native maples are sugar maples, red maples,
silver maples and striped maples.
Sugar maples are common in Ontario and their sap is used to make maple syrup.
Sugar maples are common in Ontario and their sap is used to make maple syrup.
Some examples of invasive maples are Norway maples and
Manitoba maples. Norway maples came from Europe and they use more water then
native maples and they spread very easily. Manitoba maples are considered
invasive in the Georgian Bay area because they grow quickly and produce a lot
of seeds.
One example of an introduced species of maple is the
Japanese maple. Many people plant this in their gardens because it is pretty.
While it is non-native it still grows well here and it is not bad for the other
species in Ontario which is why it is not called invasive.
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| Norway Maple |
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| Manitoba Maple |
Now that you know a little more about maples try to see if
you can identify any of the maples in your neighbourhood. If you find a good
example of a leaf try pressing the leaf in your leaf press from the activity
kit or press the leaf between two heavy books and wax paper!
Three cheers for maple trees and buzzing bees!
Three cheers for maple trees and buzzing bees!
