Maple trees, particularly silver and red maples, are more than sources of spring sap, summer shade and autumn color displays.

Like most deciduous trees, maples produce flowers that develop into fruits. The fruit of a maple is that single-bladed helicopter-like structure we see twirling down from the tree's branches on a windy spring day.

Way before the fruit begins to develop, a flower bud produces a flower, then a single-seeded fruit forms.

Squirrels know as much about maples as we do. Sometimes they gnaw into plastic tubing and drink the sap that is meant for the sugar busher syrup-making system.

Then these gray and fox squirrels climb the tree and eat flower buds. It's much easier than digging up old acorns.

Finally they top off their maple diet by shelling out single seeds from the dry, papery fruits. They never seem to tire of this meal until early berries and nuts begin to mature.

Like many of nature's parcels, maple seeds are packed with nutrients that were meant for a developing embryo and seedling, unless the squirrels find them first.