Subsp. grandidentatum, often listed as Acer grandidentatum, is often referred to as the western version of sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Still, it typically grows shorter, sometimes even shrublike, in some environments and climates. Its leaves are smaller with blunt teeth. It occurs infrequently in scattered populations from Montana south through Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas to Coahuila, Mexico, with a concentration centered in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. It is most often seen growing in valleys, canyons, foothills, slopes, and mountain stream banks at 3000-7000 feet, but it may occasionally be found in some low desert areas. Many familiar names know it, including bigtooth maple, Wasatch maple, canyon maple, and western sugar maple. The plant's size is greatly influenced by moisture, climate, and growing conditions. Shrub forms (often found in drier sites such as canyon slopes) grow to 10-20 feet tall, and tree forms (often found in moist sites such as canyon floors) grow to as much as 50 feet tall. Plants grown in cultivation most often grow as small trees rising to 20-30 feet tall and wide. The dark green leaves, each up to 4 inches long and as wide, have 3-5 blunt lobes, with three upper lobes being large, but the two lower lobes are usually suppressed or absent. Fall color ranges from red to yellow to orange. The plant's apetalous yellow-green flowers in pendant clusters (up to 2 inches long) bloom in spring (April-May) and are followed by samaras in pairs, which mature in fall. The bark is smooth, thin, and gray-brown. The tree sap may be tapped for syrup equal in quality to that obtained from species plants.
Growing this plant in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade is best. It thrives best in moist soils in full sun. This plant has a slightly better tolerance for heat and drought than sugar maple species plants, which grow in eastern and central North America.
