When was the maple tree discovered?

The maple tree, particularly the sugar maple (Acer saccharum), has been known and utilized by Indigenous peoples of North America for centuries before European settlers arrived. The first European accounts of maple trees date back to the early 17th century, when explorers and settlers documented their observations of the trees and their sap. However, the exact "discovery" date is not pinpointed, as the tree was already well-known to Native Americans long before European contact.