Maple syrup, a common and delicious condiment, is abundant this holiday season as people move inside and plan on eating lots of carbohydrates for the winter; including pancakes and waffles. But those tasty breakfast treats aren’t nearly as delicious without some sweet maple syrup to pour on top. In Maryland, sugaring is less common than in colder climates like Vermont, New Hampshire, and Canada, but the same process occurs within the tree. Regardless of location, all trees produce sugar for energy that is stored as starch in their roots during the winter. In the winter and very early spring, freeze-thaw cycles encourage trees to turn that starch back into usable sap, so the tree has energy and is ready to begin growing in the spring when the weather turns and is sunny again.