Other saps from other taps
It’s no secret that sugar maples are the preferred variety of trees for sugarmakers. But in the interest of making the most of what’s already growing on your property and diversifying your agricultural portfolio, should you consider tapping other trees?
That was the question posed and studied by David Knudson of Montana Mapleworks – Montana’s only maple syrup producer – and Youping Sun, Ph.D., and Xin Dai of Utah State University. They presented their findings at the most recent American Society for Horticultural Science conference. Specifically, they looked at the sap yield of boxelder and Norway maple.
Those in agriculture are already aware of consumers’ growing demand for locally sourced products – and the fact some are willing to pay more for unique options. That includes syrup.
The research team noted that maple syrup is an important ag commodity, with a total value of $158.7 million in 2023. A reported 5.86 million gallons of maple syrup were produced in 2024, according to USDA-NASS. That number is always in flux, though, as production timing and yields can vary widely between years and regions.
They also pointed out that very little research has been done to assess the potential to tap boxelder (Acer negundo) and Norway maple (A. platanoides), as well as other non-native maple species for syrup production.
Boxelder, while native to North America, is sometimes considered a weedy or invasive species. It is a fast-growing but shortlived species. It’s found from the Mid-Atlantic through the Midwest, and Native peoples throughout history have utilized its sap.
The Norway maple is native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia. It was introduced to North America in the mid-1700s as a shade tree and now can be found throughout much of the eastern U.S., the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest. The Norway maple has been banned for sale in New Hampshire and Massachusetts; New York State has classified it as an invasive plant species. However, it’s still available and widely used for urban plantings.
So how do you turn a potential problem into a profit? In February 2022, March 2023 and February 2024, the research team installed sap collection bags on 20 tapped boxelders and 20 tapped Norway maples in Missoula, MT. The sap was collected regularly to determine the yield from each tree. The temperature data were recorded from the National Weather Service as well. The researchers then compared the sap yield from the two species over three years. They found the trees produced varying sap yields across the different years – no surprise there. The boxelder trees in Missoula had seasonal average sap yields of 9.21, 18.86 and 16.81 liters during the 42-, 29- and 42-day tapping periods, respectively.
The Norway maples in the same area had seasonal average sap yields of 28.38, 15.45 and 30.15 liters during the same tapping periods, respectively, performing markedly better than the boxelders.
While the climate and landscape in Montana are noticeably different than those in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, these Acer species are still found in our forests and woodlands. For those looking to expand their maple operations or offer their customers something different, tapping boxelders and Norway maples may be worthwhile.
by Courtney Llewellyn
