Question on Maple types/IDing them.

[dogleg]

I'm pretty good at identifying most types of wood, but have never had a reason to get beyond, "Yep, that's a maple."  Can anyone tell me the visable differences between hard maple and the soft ones (the trees, not the wood)?  Does 'vine' maple even grow in Wisconsin, were I'm looking?  Any pics you have would be a help (me likey pictures  )

dogleg

[DanaM]

VM grows in the Pacific Northwest none in WI. Hard maple will generally have a a more scaly, rough bark than red or norway maple.
The leaves on hard maple also have 5 smooth edged lobes and look like the Canadian Mapleleafs(hockey team) logo. Sorft(red) maple leaves will have 3 to 5 lobes and edges are serrated. On norway maple leaves if you
break the stem the sap with be milky, norway maple leaves can be green of red like in peoples yards. All types of maple will make a good bow
with hard maple being better than soft

Here's a link to a website http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/treeid/comnameindx.htm

and a couple of pictures First is Hard(Sugar) maple
second is soft(Red) maple

[attachment deleted by admin]

[JustAim]

heres another site that has great photos and close ups of the leaves and bark.

http://dcwi.com/~bmills/trees/trees.htm

[dogleg]

Thanks guys,

Figured you guys would know, right off the tops of your heads.  And thanks for the pics, makes things that much simpler, knowing what they look like, rather than a verbal description.  Lots of pics, and small words.  You guys been talking to my wife?

dogleg