Maple Trees are one of the most common trees across Caelereth. Usually they can be found in forests and heaths, and are known for the beautiful shades their leaves turn in the autumn, which range from bright yellows to vivid oranges and reds. Their leaves are usually lobed, but also come in compound styles. Their sap can be harvested to make a sweet syrup and their wood can be used to build houses and furniture.

Picture description. A Maple Tree as found in the Shaded Forest of Northern Sarvonia. Image drawn by Seeker.

Appearance. The Maple is one of the most beautiful tree species in Caelereth. The tree may vary anywhere from 6 peds to 24.5 peds high, though they’re typically 15 to 23 peds high. Maples have a very full, large crown when grown out in the open. Their trunks are usually rather thick, sometimes 2 fores in diameter. The bark is rather rough and tends to be a deep brown to tan color, though it can also have a grayish or brownish tint. The twigs can be found in a lighter color than the trunk and are commonly found in light grayish or greenish tans and light browns. Leaves grow opposite to each other on twigs, and are quite distinct, often used for comparison among plant species.

The leaves usually have 3, 5, or 7 lobes, though 3 and five lobes are most common. The edges of the leaves are slightly serrated with varying sizes in teeth. These lobed leaves can vary between 8 to 15 nailbreadths in length and, because of their shape, have a similar range in width. However, some Maple leaves can grow huge, up to a fore or more in length and width. Leaves may also come in compound varieties in which case the leaflets are elliptical shaped yet still retain the serrated edges that most Maple leaves have. The leaflets may be 6 to 8 nailbreadths long to 2.5 to 4 nailsbreadths in width. No matter the shape of the leaves, they tend to range from a yellowish green to a verdurous green to a grayish or dull green in the spring and summer. However, they change into beautiful yellow, golds, oranges, and bright reds.

The flowers of the Maple vary from yellow to greenish yellow, and in good years, these flowers will bloom everywhere on the tree, making the entire Maple appear as though enveloped in a yellow haze. The flowers of the Maple contain both male and female parts instead of separate female and male parts of individual trees. The flowers are small, no more than a few nailsbreadths in diameter and 1.5 to 2.5 nailsbreadth in length from the base of the sepal to the tips of the petals. In autumn, these flowers loose their petals and form into wing-like fruits. There are seed cavities at the base and the rest of the fruit, which is shaped and looks a lot like a dragonfly wing. They tend to be greenish yellow or reddish brown in color and are 6.5 to 8 nailsbreadths long.

Territory. The Maple can be seen in forests and plains ranging from the Cartashian Forest and the Yllon Wood all the way to the northern portion of the Sharadon Forest and the Tolonian Heath. However, the Maple is more concentrated in the southern parts of Northern Sarvonia, including the Shadowlands, the Wilshire Heath, the Shaded Forest, the Wound of Sylvan and the Heath of Wilderon. They can also be found in the Tandala Highlands, the Heath of Jernais and the Aurora Plain, as well as the Calmarios and the Bolder. Maples also grow on the northern parts of Denilou, at the Alé’lón, as well as in Nybelmar in the northernmost forests.

Maple Trees grow in almost all soil conditions and are regarded as being beautiful for the colors they change in the autumn.

Usages. Maple Trees have a variety of uses. The sap can be harvested and used to make a sweet syrup. Maple syrup, which usually is a rather sticky, deep brown liquid, is used to sweeten up dishes and drinks. The wood is often used to help make houses and furniture, as well as toys and other such things. Many find that these trees, however, are more beautiful alive, especially those of elven lineage. The colors that they turn in the autumn charm many and are often portrayed in paintings.

Reproduction. The Maple produces yellow flowers in the spring after the leaves grow back. In good years, these little yellow flowers completely cover the tree, and the pollen they produce makes the entire tree appear to be enveloped in a yellowish haze. Many are allergic to this pollen, though allergies are rarely fatal. In midsummer the yellow flowers fall away, leaving the base of the flower to become the base of the fruit in which the seeds are kept. The rest of the fruit appears like wings and, in autumn, fall from the tree, spinning as they do. Many people find interest and beauty in the charming way these fruit seem to elegantly descend to the ground.