Maple For Garden Folly

[Nyboy]

I have hundreds of maples, no oak trees upstate. How strong are mature maples ? I always wanted a tree house. Something like a viewing platform overlooking the water. Are maples hard or soft wood trees?

 

[so lucky]

I think there are some maples characterized as "hard maples" but generally, they are not as hard as oak.
You might consider supporting a viewing platform with poles underneath.
Sounds like fun!

 

[bobm]

I have hundreds of maples, no oak trees upstate. How strong are mature maples ? I always wanted a tree house. Something like a viewing platform overlooking the water. Are maples hard or soft wood trees?

You would need at least 2 to 3 or more trees that at at least 10"+ in diameter that are about 10 feet +/- apart in a triangle. Before you get too far into this project... I would consider checking with your home owner's insurance policy as to if it would be covered under liability if an accident such as Martha enjoying a glass of wine and leaning on the railing , which breaks and she falls into your pond.

 

[valley ranch]

Papa made a tree house in a Date Palm at the big house~we could walk completely around the tree.

 

[Nyboy]

Bob last friend who fell in pond when my bridge collapsed spent 2 days in hospital. My home owners covered all bills even dry cleaning of clothes she was wearing.

 

[valley ranch]

Your bridge collapsed~some a na gun~



What happened with your truck~was it all posted and I missed it?

 

[Nyboy]

Truck sitting in driveway need a little time to recoup and scrap up more $$$

 

[valley ranch]

You got all the part & pieces, like to see you get that running. Has your nephew ever painted~if he's the type that likes to learn hands on, he could learn a lot prep and painting that truck

 

[Nyboy]

Nephew type that does a lot of talking, much less doing.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Which kind of maple are they? There are lots of different kinds of maples but you are probably looking at either Silver Maple, Red Maple, or Sugar Maple.

Silver maple grow pretty fast and have a beautiful yellow fall color. They are pretty brittle and drop a lot of branches. Wind can damage them. I would not build a tree house in a silver maple. I also will not allow a silver maple close to the house, too much of a risk for dropping branches, but out away a safe distance they are gorgeous in the fall.

Both Red and Sugar maple grow more slowly and have much stronger wood. Sugar maples have beautiful leaves in the fall, usually more of an orange from what I've seen. Red maples can have different colors and shades but as you probably guessed are red. Exactly how they look at the change of color depends on the growing season, how much rain you get then and during the change, and how cold it gets. Maples tend to be absolutely gorgeous when the leaves change.

I'd be OK building a tree house in a sugar or red oak of appropriate size.