The sap contains sugar and can be used as a drink or be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water[4, 61, 82, 159]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. The yield is only half that of A. saccharum[2]. It is said to be sweeter and whiter than A. saccharum[183]. The sap can be harvested in the late winter, the flow is best on warm sunny days following a frost. The best sap production comes from cold-winter areas with continental climates. Self-sown seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or dried for later use[177, 213]. Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot[213]. Good crops are produced nearly every year in the wild[229]. The seed is about 12mm long and is produced in small clusters[82]. Inner bark - cooked. It is dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[105, 161, 177, 257]. The related Oregon Maple (Acer macrophyllum) has yellow flower clusters, sweet with nectar, eaten raw[183]. No information was found for this species. Carbon farming - Staple Crop: sugar.

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An infusion of the bark is used in the treatment of coughs, cramps and dysentery[257]. The infusion is also applied externally to old, stubborn running sores[257]. A compound infusion is used in the treatment of 'female complaints'[257]. The inner bark is boiled and used with water as a wash for sore eyes[257]. An infusion is used internally in the treatment of diarrhoea[257]. An infusion of the root bark has been used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[257].

The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[18, 20]. A fairly wind-tolerant tree, it can be used in shelterbelt plantings[200]. The branches are rather brittle, however, and can break off even in minor storms[226]. The stems are used in making baskets[257]. The boiled inner bark yields a brown dye[106]. Mixed with lead sulphate this produces a blue/black dye which can also be used as an ink[106]. A black dye is obtained from the twigs and bark[257]. The bark can be boiled, along with hemlock (Tsuga spp]) and swamp oak bark (Quercus bicolor) to make a wash to remove rust from iron and steel, and to prevent further rusting[257]. Wood - rather brittle, close-grained, hard, strong, easily worked but not durable. It weighs 32lb per cubic metre. It has many uses such as veneer, cooperage, furniture, flooring and pulp[11, 46, 82, 227, 235]. Carbon Farming - Industrial Crop: biomass. Agroforestry Services: crop shade. Fodder: bank. A dynamic accumulator gathering minerals or nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form - used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.

Special Uses