Which trees can you tap in Colorado?

Boxelder (Acer negundo, native): Riparian bottoms statewide, plains to foothills; 'a knobby, oddball native of southwestern riparian areas' Silver maple (Acer saccharinum, planted): 'By far, the silver maple is the most common maple found in the urban landscape' (CSU Extension) Norway maple (Acer platanoides, introduced): Street tree along the Front Range; CSU notes Norway maples 'are hard wooded' and better suited to Colorado soils Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum, native): Mountains statewide; small Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum, native): 'Disjunct populations occur along Lake Powell in Colorado' — far southwest only Paper birch (Betula papyrifera, native): Front Range outliers (FEIS) Freeman maple ('Autumn Blaze') (Acer × freemanii, planted): Popular Front Range yard tree (CSU)

Colorado · beyond the maple belt

Can you make maple syrup in Colorado?

MarginalMarginal: Colorado has native boxelder in every river bottom, planted silver and Norway maples in every Front Range town, and the freeze-thaw swings are there — but no Colorado producer, festival or extension sugaring program was found; the only regional record is Colorado Plateau hobbyists tapping box elder.

Local timing guidance

No local guidance found. Colorado Plateau hobbyists describe the window as 'when daytime temperatures reach the 40s, while nighttime temperatures remain well below freezing' — a rule, not a date.

Source: KNAU 2013 (PRACTITIONER)

Trees

Tappable trees in Colorado

Tappable tree species in Colorado
Species	Status	Where
BoxelderAcer negundo	native	Riparian bottoms statewide, plains to foothills; 'a knobby, oddball native of southwestern riparian areas'USFS FEIS (CO in STATES list); KNAU 2013
Silver mapleAcer saccharinum	planted	'By far, the silver maple is the most common maple found in the urban landscape' (CSU Extension)CSU Extension PlantTalk 1733 (VERIFIED)
Norway mapleAcer platanoides	introduced	Street tree along the Front Range; CSU notes Norway maples 'are hard wooded' and better suited to Colorado soilsCSU Extension PlantTalk 1733 (VERIFIED)
Rocky Mountain mapleAcer glabrum	native	Mountains statewide; smallUSFS FEIS (CO in STATES list)
Bigtooth mapleAcer grandidentatum	native	'Disjunct populations occur along Lake Powell in Colorado' — far southwest onlyUSFS FEIS
Paper birchBetula papyrifera	native	Front Range outliers (FEIS)USFS FEIS
Freeman maple ('Autumn Blaze')Acer × freemanii	planted	Popular Front Range yard tree (CSU)CSU Extension PlantTalk 1733 (VERIFIED)

Who already does it

Sugaring in Colorado, documented

'a few enterprising residents of the Colorado Plateau have begun collecting [box elder sap] to make a sweet syrup' — Four Corners hobbyists (Arizona-based public radio; Colorado not named specifically)
KNAU Earth Notes, 6 Mar 2013 · PRACTITIONER
No Colorado producer or extension sugaring guidance found; CSU Extension's maple page covers landscape choice only
CSU Extension PlantTalk Colorado · VERIFIED
Regional context: USU-led USDA Acer grant covers Idaho, Utah and Wyoming (Wheatland, WY boxelder trial: 41.1 L per tree over 63 days) — Colorado is not a partner state
ASHS 2025 abstract · VERIFIED

Cautions

What local sources warn about

Box elder sap is lean and tastes 'more reminiscent of caramel than maple'; 'As soon as the tree's flower buds begin to swell, the taste of the sap changes unpleasantly.' (KNAU 2013 (PRACTITIONER))
Altitude lowers the boiling point — finish syrup by temperature above local boiling (about +7 °F), not by a fixed 219 °F (see leg-evidence §4). (leg-evidence §4 (VERIFIED); OSU EM 9163 (VERIFIED))
Front Range silver maples suffer iron chlorosis on alkaline clay and are storm-brittle — tap only healthy trees. (CSU Extension PlantTalk 1733 (VERIFIED))

Where to look

Likely sugaring country

Fort Collins
CSU home; Front Range town canopy of silver/Norway maple and riparian boxelder
Durango
Colorado Plateau/Four Corners where box elder hobby tapping is reported
Grand Junction
Western Slope river bottoms with large boxelders and cold winter nights

Minor place. Searches: 'Colorado maple syrup tapping boxelder/silver/Norway CSU Front Range'; 'Colorado maple syrup producer Denver/Boulder/Fort Collins'; 'Colorado maple syrup producer Durango/Grand Junction/Pueblo'. No Colorado-specific producer found.

FAQ

Sugaring in Colorado: questions

Can you tap maple trees in Colorado?: Marginal. Marginal: Colorado has native boxelder in every river bottom, planted silver and Norway maples in every Front Range town, and the freeze-thaw swings are there — but no Colorado producer, festival or extension sugaring program was found; the only regional record is Colorado Plateau hobbyists tapping box elder.
When do you tap maple trees in Colorado?: No local guidance found. Colorado Plateau hobbyists describe the window as 'when daytime temperatures reach the 40s, while nighttime temperatures remain well below freezing' — a rule, not a date. (KNAU 2013 (PRACTITIONER))
Which trees can you tap in Colorado?: Boxelder (Acer negundo, native): Riparian bottoms statewide, plains to foothills; 'a knobby, oddball native of southwestern riparian areas' Silver maple (Acer saccharinum, planted): 'By far, the silver maple is the most common maple found in the urban landscape' (CSU Extension) Norway maple (Acer platanoides, introduced): Street tree along the Front Range; CSU notes Norway maples 'are hard wooded' and better suited to Colorado soils Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum, native): Mountains statewide; small Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum, native): 'Disjunct populations occur along Lake Powell in Colorado' — far southwest only Paper birch (Betula papyrifera, native): Front Range outliers (FEIS) Freeman maple ('Autumn Blaze') (Acer × freemanii, planted): Popular Front Range yard tree (CSU)

Nearby

Other places beyond the belt

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Try a season where you are

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