Jim Elie wrote, "I have been curious to tap a few silver maples in the yard.
Have you
checked out St Lawrence Nursery's "Sweet Sap" silver maple. The claim is
that it has a higher percent of sugar than the sugar maple syrup. The
silver maple is such a vigorous grower."
Jim,
I know of a Sugar Maple that yields really a high sugar content in its
sap but it yields proportionately less of a volume of sap. That is
frequently the case but not always. At a former home of mine, one of my Red
Maples yielded a normal quantity of 9.2 sugar in its sap. That tree grew
adjacent to my septic tank and, while it was probably safe (to eat) sap, I
never did use it for the thought of it.
I know of a HUGE Silver Maple with a high sugar content sap that I can't
tap because it doesn't flow until after bud-swell when the sap becomes
unpalatable. That is a common problem with freaks of nature; there is
frequently something else wrong with them besides the obvious traits.
Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(877)265-6856 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]
[NAFEX] Answering a maple question,
Jim Fruth, 02/21/2008