Hello all, I have some type of maple tree that is dripping sap all over my truck! I would like to remove the tree, but it provides much shade. I would just move the truck, but the tree hangs over the driveway.

Can this tree be trimmed on just one side? Is this sap going to happen all year?

 

Sorry to hear about the mess. If you trim the tree on one side then you'll have a lopsided tree (you already know this) and you run the risk of the uneven weight causing the tree to fall in a storm. Besides, it would look ugly. Some folks in my neighborhood cover their vehicles with a tarp while the tree drips sap.

Trees don't drip sap all season long, and it should stop soon, but I'm wondering if it might be a sycamore and not a maple. The leaves are very similar, but the sycamore tends to drip more sap. It also sheds it's leaves in the summer and sheds bark as well. You might want to prune the tree or have it limbed up. Here's a couple of sites that should be helpful.

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/ho...ne/prun001.htm
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-4.pdf

Tree id
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/p/plaocc/plaocc1.html
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/acepse/acepse1.html
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/acesac/acesac1.html
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/aceacc/aceacc1.html
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/acepla/acepla1.html

Newt