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Notes (historical):
The Acer saccharum (a.k.a. sugar maple) is a species of maple growing predominantly in northeast North America. It is known for its exceptionally bright orange and red foliage, and for maple syrup. It can grow up to 148 feet, but mostly grows to be only 15 feet tall. The photo of this tree dates to October 13, 1923, and it was taken in the Mohawk Trail State Forest in Charlemont, Massachusetts. The Mohawk Trail State Forest is well-known for its tall trees and the old age of its trees. Some are 500 years old, and trees between 100-200 years of age are very common. There are 18 tall tree champions is on the Mohawk trail. Notably, there is a National Champion sugar maple listed in the National Register of Big Trees as of 2007. The one in the photograph is extremely tall, when compared to the scale of the other trees, car, and person posed next to it, but it is uncertain if the large sugar maple tree depicted here is the champion tree photographed in earlier years. (information from USDA Plant profile of “Acer saccharum,” http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ACSA3; and also Mary Byrd Davis “Old Growth in the East: A Survey,’ January 23, 2000.
