Here we have the Commemoration Sugar Maple, or Acer saccharum 'Commemoration', also known as the Hard Maple or Rock Maple. This particularly sturdy, fast-growing cultivar of the Sugar Maple often reaches heights of 40 to 50 feet and can live for 100 years or more. Encased in smooth, gray bark, it is renowned for its high sap production, which can be used to make maple syrup. In spring, the tree's dark green leaves turn a stunning burnt orange or red in the fall and are notably resistant to damage. As it matures, the tree develops an oval-shaped crown with a high canopy of foliage. Like other maples, it produces samaras, or paired, winged seeds, which ripen and turn brown in the fall.