Sugar Maple

One of the oldest trees on the estate, this large sugar maple was planted around 1886 by James Pinchot’s friend, General William Tecumseh Sherman. A number of sugar maples line the lower part of the Grey Towers drive, greeting visitors with their brilliant yellow leaves every fall.

Sugar maples are known for syrup and candy made from their sap, and for excellent lumber. The wood is hard, making it especially suitable for bowling alleys, pins, and dance floors. Pioneers used maple ashes in making soap, and it is one of the principle woods selected for producing charcoal. Sugar maple is the state tree of New York, Vermont and West Virginia, and its leaf is the symbol of Canada.