Re: how long does it take a maple seed to grow into a big adult tree

Dear Maya,
There are many different kinds of maple tree, some can grow to over 100 
feet tall, while others grow only to 50  or 25 feet tall, and others can be 
only a foot or two tall if they're used for bonsai!  So how long it will 
take for a maple seed to grow to be a big adult tree depends on which 
species you are trying to grow.  For a European species like field maple 
(Acer campestre is it's latin, scientific name) which grows to a 
maximum of about 45 feet it would take around 50 years to get big enough to 
produce seeds.  This is how we define when a tree becomes an adult - if 
it's big enough to produce seeds then it's an adult.  Unlike humans trees 
grow all their lives so it will get bigger and taller for many years after 
it becomes an adult.  Why don't you plant your own maple and see how fast 
it takes to become taller than you!
Yvonne Buckley