Which trees can you tap in North Dakota?

Boxelder (Acer negundo, native): 'found in river bottoms, ravines and hillsides' statewide and 'commonly found planted in towns, parks, windbreaks'; hardiness zone 2 Silver maple (Acer saccharinum, native): Red River valley (FEIS lists ND); widely planted in towns Sugar maple (Acer saccharum, planted): Not native (ND absent from FEIS list); planted as a yard tree Paper birch (Betula papyrifera, native): Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills and 'Great Plains of ... North Dakota' outliers; 'birch-cicles' noted by NDSU

North Dakota · beyond the maple belt

Can you make maple syrup in North Dakota?

Yes, in parts of itYes with boxelder: NDSU's extension forester says 'quite a few people' make syrup from boxelder, a state park holds an annual Maple Sugaring Day, and the native boxelder lines every river bottom and shelterbelt — but there is no native sugar maple, the window is 'very narrow', and it opens in March, weeks later than the East.

Local timing guidance

North Dakota Forest Service column: boxelder sap starts 'normally early March in the southern half of the state to middle or late March in the northern half'; in the Turtle Mountains the author has started 'from March 1st one year to March 25th the next'; a prolonged winter can push flow 'even into April'. NDSU: 'It's a very narrow window.'

Source: Minot Daily News / ND Forest Service 2023 (PRACTITIONER); NDSU Extension (VERIFIED)

Trees

Tappable trees in North Dakota

Tappable tree species in North Dakota
Species	Status	Where
BoxelderAcer negundo	native	'found in river bottoms, ravines and hillsides' statewide and 'commonly found planted in towns, parks, windbreaks'; hardiness zone 2NDSU Extension boxelder page (VERIFIED); Minot Daily News 2023 (PRACTITIONER)
Silver mapleAcer saccharinum	native	Red River valley (FEIS lists ND); widely planted in townsUSFS FEIS (ND in STATES list)
Sugar mapleAcer saccharum	planted	Not native (ND absent from FEIS list); planted as a yard treeUSFS FEIS
Paper birchBetula papyrifera	native	Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills and 'Great Plains of ... North Dakota' outliers; 'birch-cicles' noted by NDSUUSFS FEIS; NDSU Dakota Gardener (VERIFIED)

Who already does it

Sugaring in North Dakota, documented

NDSU Extension forester Joe Zeleznik: 'In North Dakota, I've met quite a few people who make maple syrup from boxelder trees'; 'The ratio of sap to syrup is about 45 to 1'; 'Staff at Fort Stevenson State Park have been making maple syrup every spring for several years' (Maple Sugaring Day, 9 Apr 2022)
NDSU Extension, Dakota Gardener column · VERIFIED
'FOR THE TREES: Sweet syrup to ring in spring' — Turtle Mountain tapper (ten boxelders, 12–20 in DBH) describes boxelder syrup as 'a lighter color and ... a hint of butterscotch'
Minot Daily News (North Dakota Forest Service column), 15 Apr 2023 · PRACTITIONER
NDSU Extension boxelder tree profile (Zeleznik): habitat, zone 2, 'Also called Manitoba maple or ash-leaved maple'
NDSU Extension · VERIFIED

Cautions

What local sources warn about

Narrow, late window: 'If it's too warm at night or too cold during the day, the sap just won't flow.' (NDSU Extension (VERIFIED))
Get permission before tapping public trees — 'Different park districts or towns may or may not allow tapping.' (ND Forest Service column (PRACTITIONER))
Boxelder is easily confused with green ash, balsam poplar or Siberian elm in winter — identify by opposite buds and persistent samaras. (ND Forest Service column (PRACTITIONER))
Boxelder sap is leaner (NDSU: lower than sugar maple's 2–6%), so plan on ~45:1 or more. (NDSU Extension (VERIFIED))

Where to look

Likely sugaring country

Garrison (Fort Stevenson State Park)
Annual Maple Sugaring Day; state-park boxelder tapping
Bottineau (Turtle Mountains)
Documented hobby tapping; northern start dates (1–25 March)
Fargo
Red River valley with the state's native silver maple and NDSU Extension

Minor place. The ND Forest Service 'Sweet syrup' page on ag.ndsu.edu returned a news index, so the Minot Daily News syndication was used.

FAQ

Sugaring in North Dakota: questions

Can you tap maple trees in North Dakota?: Yes, in parts of it. Yes with boxelder: NDSU's extension forester says 'quite a few people' make syrup from boxelder, a state park holds an annual Maple Sugaring Day, and the native boxelder lines every river bottom and shelterbelt — but there is no native sugar maple, the window is 'very narrow', and it opens in March, weeks later than the East.
When do you tap maple trees in North Dakota?: North Dakota Forest Service column: boxelder sap starts 'normally early March in the southern half of the state to middle or late March in the northern half'; in the Turtle Mountains the author has started 'from March 1st one year to March 25th the next'; a prolonged winter can push flow 'even into April'. NDSU: 'It's a very narrow window.' (Minot Daily News / ND Forest Service 2023 (PRACTITIONER); NDSU Extension (VERIFIED))
Which trees can you tap in North Dakota?: Boxelder (Acer negundo, native): 'found in river bottoms, ravines and hillsides' statewide and 'commonly found planted in towns, parks, windbreaks'; hardiness zone 2 Silver maple (Acer saccharinum, native): Red River valley (FEIS lists ND); widely planted in towns Sugar maple (Acer saccharum, planted): Not native (ND absent from FEIS list); planted as a yard tree Paper birch (Betula papyrifera, native): Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills and 'Great Plains of ... North Dakota' outliers; 'birch-cicles' noted by NDSU

Nearby

Other places beyond the belt

LuckySap · free on iPhone & Android

Try a season where you are

LuckySap turns the forecast for any spot into a day-by-day sap outlook and logs every collection and boil. Free on iPhone and Android.