), commonly known as the Florida maple and occasionally as the southern sugar maple or hammock maple, is a tree that occurs in mesic and usually calcareous woodlands of the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain in the United States, from southeastern Virginia in the north, south to central Florida, and west to Oklahoma and Texas and also common in south Illinois and Missouri[3][4][5] It is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree, growing to 15–25 m tall—exceptionally to 38 m—with an elliptical crown of moderate density with a smooth or rounded outline.

They hang from puberulent pedicels 2.4–5 cm long in clusters of a few flowers, appearing before or with the leaves in early spring.

In 1886 Ferdinand Albin Pax decided it was distinct enough to be treated as a separate species, making the new combination A. floridanum (Chapm.)

[4][8][9] A further problem exists with the specific name Acer barbatum, given to a maple by André Michaux in 1803 from samples collected in the Carolinas during his decade in North America from 1785 to 1796.

For a long time it was unclear if the plant he collected was Acer saccharum (sugar maple) or A. floridanum, as his samples were badly damaged on his return to Paris.

Ward has shown that they are typical Acer saccharum after all, and not A. floridanum as Fernald had thought without examination, and thus Michaux's name is correctly a synonym of A.

The tree favours moist, but well-drained fertile soils, especially on stream terrace, in coves, and on adjacent bluffs and ridgetops.

Several species of birds and especially squirrels make use of the tree as a nesting site and also consume its seeds as a food source.

It is considered a hard maple and as high quality individuals are suitable for producing furniture, flooring, paneling, and shoe lasts.

However, its relative scarcity, small size, and fairly poor shape generally confine its use to only factory and box lumber, and even this is only an occasional occurrence.

It has, however, been experiencing growing popularity as an ornamental or shade tree, especially in the Southern United States due to its high heat resistance.