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The medicinal herb market has increased for the 16th consecutive year, by a record-breaking 17.3% in 2020, according to the American Botanical Council’s market report. In 2020, the report shows forest botanicals like black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis), and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) ranked respectively as the 17th, 12th and 30th top-selling herbal supplements in the U.S. As demand grows, conscientious consumers and companies are becoming acutely aware of the sustainability concerns surrounding the forest botanical trade from overharvesting and habitat loss, and are seeking traceable sources of supply to ensure the longevity of the supply chain.

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Maple sugaring is a culturally valued practice in many parts of the US and Canada that can bring awareness to the importance of non-timber forest products and ecological forest management. In the lower Midwest, on the western edge of the native range for sugar maple (Acer saccharinum), syrup production is currently practiced primarily by hobbyists for home-scale and local consumption. However,  Missouri and Illinois agroforestry professionals, existing sugarmakers, and researchers realize an untapped potential for a growing tree syrup industry in the lower Midwest, and are working to address relevant gaps.

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Maple syrup production is one of the most popular examples of forest farming and agroforestry in the U.S. and Canada.  However, commercial production of maple syrup is almost entirely concentrated in the eastern region of these two countries and has historically been defined by the native range of the sugar maple (Acer saccharum). True to its name, sugar maple sap has a sugar content 2-3 times more than other maples (at 2-3%).  This higher sugar content means there is less water to remove through boiling and makes it an ideal species for syrup production.  However, producers in these areas also tap other native maples [e.g., silver maple (Acer saccharinum) or red maple (Acer rubrum)], which have lower sugar content but still produce valuable sap (Peters et al. 2020). The expansion of maple syrup production beyond sugar maple begs the question: which maples in other parts of the country are suitable for syrup production?  All maples produce sap with sugars (sucrose) that can be reduced to syrup and individual species may have unique, marketable flavors. 

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