{"product_id":"sugar-maple","title":"Sugar Maple","description":"\u003cp\u003eLighting Requirements\u003cbr\u003e•    Full Sun to Partial Shade: It performs best in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) but it is highly tolerant of heavy shade conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSoil Preference\u003cbr\u003e•    Moisture \u0026amp; Drainage: Requires moist, well-drained conditions. It is highly intolerant of compacted or poorly draining soils.\u003cbr\u003e•    Texture \u0026amp; Fertility: Thrives in fertile clay, loam, silt, and sandy soils with high organic matter.\u003cbr\u003e•    Acidity: Prefers slightly acidic (\u0026lt;6.0) to neutral (6.0–8.0) pH ranges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWildlife Benefit\u003cbr\u003e•    Food \u0026amp; Pollinators: Butterflies and pollinators utilize the early spring nectar and pollen. The winged samara seeds are heavily consumed by birds and small mammals.\u003cbr\u003e•    Larval Host: Acts as a host plant for Lepidoptera, specifically supporting the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae.\u003cbr\u003e•    Habitat \u0026amp; Forage: Trunk cavities offer critical nesting and shelter sites for birds. Deer, moose, and porcupines forage on the stems, foliage, and bark.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHuman Uses\u003cbr\u003e•    Syrup Production: It is the only tree commercially utilized today for maple syrup production. Trees can be tapped starting around 40 years of age, requiring roughly 32 gallons of sap to yield one gallon of syrup.\u003cbr\u003e•    Ethnobotany: Native Americans and early European settlers relied on it as a primary sweetener, using the sap for beverages, candies, beer making, and cooking meat.\u003cbr\u003e•    Timber \u0026amp; Landscaping: The durable \"hard maple\" wood is used heavily for residential flooring and furniture. It is widely planted as an ornamental specimen or shade tree in lawns and parks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eResistance to Challenges\u003cbr\u003e•    Resistances: The tree is generally deer-resistant and features low flammability. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf Note\u003cbr\u003e•    Sensitivities \u0026amp; Vulnerabilities: Standard wild types are highly sensitive to high heat, drought, road salt, air pollution, and soil compaction. Unhealthy or stressed specimens can succumb to leaf scorch, verticillium wilt, anthracnose, cankers, and leaf spots.\u003cbr\u003e•    Infrastructure Risks: The strong, aggressive roots can crack sidewalks, clog underground drains, and compromise septic networks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thistlebird Farm","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49193116074227,"sku":null,"price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0782\/9635\/0963\/files\/SugarMaple-1.jpg?v=1786358130","url":"https:\/\/thistlebirdfarm.com\/products\/sugar-maple","provider":"Thistlebird Farm","version":"1.0","type":"link"}