# Maple leaf > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Maple_leaf > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Maple_leaf.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_leaf > Source revision: 1337479405 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Leaf of the maple tree}} {{about|the maple leaf as a symbol|the hockey team|Toronto Maple Leafs|other uses}} [[File:Acer_pseudoplatanus_002.jpg|thumb|Leaves of the sycamore maple (''[Acer pseudoplatanus](/source/Acer_pseudoplatanus)'')]] The '''maple leaf''' is the characteristic [leaf](/source/leaf) of the [maple](/source/maple) tree. It is used as the [national symbol of Canada](/source/national_symbols_of_Canada).{{cite web |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/unofficial-symbols-canada.html |title=Unofficial symbols of Canada |publisher=[Department of Canadian Heritage](/source/Department_of_Canadian_Heritage) |access-date=2019-01-01}} ==History of use in Canada== By the early 1700s, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by the [French Canadian](/source/French_Canadian)s along the [Saint Lawrence River](/source/Saint_Lawrence_River).{{Cite web|url=http://www.fraser.cc/FlagsCan/Nation/NatSym.html#r10|title=National Symbols|website=www.fraser.cc}} Its popularity with French Canadians continued and was reinforced when, at the inaugural meeting of the [Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society](/source/Saint-Jean-Baptiste_Society) in 1834,[http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/o3_e.cfm Ceremonial and Canadian Symbols Promotion page for Maple Leaf] the maple leaf was one of numerous emblems proposed to represent the society. Speaking in its favour, [Jacques Viger](/source/Jacques_Viger_(1787%E2%80%931858)), the first mayor of [Montreal](/source/Montreal), described the maple as "the king of our forest; ... the symbol of the Canadian people." [[File:Royal Standard of Canada.svg|thumb|right|[The Sovereign's Flag for Canada](/source/Royal_standards_of_Canada), showing a sprig of three maple leaves as part of the design]] [[File:Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg|thumb|right|The [flag of Canada](/source/flag_of_Canada), featuring one stylized maple leaf in the centre]] The maple leaf slowly caught on as a national symbol. In 1868, it was included in the [coat of arms of Ontario](/source/coat_of_arms_of_Ontario) and the [coat of arms of Quebec](/source/coat_of_arms_of_Quebec), and was added to the [Canadian coat of arms](/source/Canadian_coat_of_arms) in 1921. Historically, the golden maple leaf had represented Ontario, while the green maple leaf had represented Quebec.[http://www.onzone.ca/english/ontario/symbols/shield.asp Shield of Arms] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091207232357/http://www.onzone.ca/english/ontario/symbols/shield.asp |date=2009-12-07 }} In 1867, [Alexander Muir](/source/Alexander_Muir) composed the patriotic song "[The Maple Leaf Forever](/source/The_Maple_Leaf_Forever)", which became an unofficial anthem in English-speaking Canada.{{Cite news|author=Mike Strobel|title=Should we drop O Canada and revert to Maple Leaf Forever?|url=https://torontosun.com/2013/10/07/should-we-drop-o-canada-and-revert-to-maple-leaf-forever|access-date=2020-10-13|newspaper=Toronto Sun|language=en-CA}} From 1876 until 1901, the leaf appeared on all [Canadian coins](/source/Canadian_coins), and remained on the [penny](/source/penny_(Canadian_coin)) after 1901.{{Cite web|author=Robert Sibley|title=A short history of the Maple Leaf flag|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/a-short-history-of-the-maple-leaf-flag|access-date=2020-10-13|website=Ottawa Citizen|language=en-CA}} The use of the maple leaf as a [regimental symbol](/source/regimental_symbol) extended from the 1890s, and Canadian soldiers in the [Second Boer War](/source/Second_Boer_War) were distinguished by a maple leaf on their sun helmets.{{Cite web|title=WarMuseum.ca - South African War - The Canadian Uniform|url=https://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/boer/canadianuniforms_e.html|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.warmuseum.ca|publisher=War Museum|language=en}} During the [First World War](/source/World_War_I), badges of the [Canadian Expeditionary Force](/source/Canadian_Expeditionary_Force) were often based on a maple leaf design.{{Cite web|title=General List Cap Badge|url=https://www.warmuseum.ca/s3/supplyline/assets/teacherresources/CWM_SupplyLine_GeneralListCapBadge_EN_FINAL_20140922.pdf|access-date=2020-10-13|publisher=War Museum}} In 1957, the maple leaf colour on the Canadian arms was changed from green to red{{Cite web|date=2017-08-28|title=The history of the National Flag of Canada|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-history.html|access-date=2020-10-13|website=aem}} – some maple leaves are commonly red even in spring as they bud and no seasonal colouring has been assigned heraldically. The maple leaf became the central national symbol with the introduction of the [Canadian flag](/source/Canadian_flag) (suggested by [George F. G. Stanley](/source/George_Stanley) and sponsored by {{abbr|MP|member of parliament}} [John Matheson](/source/John_Matheson)) in 1965, which uses a highly stylized eleven-pointed maple leaf, referring to no specific species of maple. Earlier official uses of a maple leaf design often used more than 30 points and a short stem. The one chosen is a generic maple leaf representing the ten species of maple tree native to Canada {{Ndash}} at least one of these species grows natively in every province.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mapleleavesforever.com/default.asp|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125220137/http://www.mapleleavesforever.com/default.asp|url-status=dead|title=Maple Leaves Forever|archivedate=Nov 25, 2009}}{{Cite web |title=Acer L. {{!}} Plants of the World Online {{!}} Kew Science |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:328248-2 |access-date=2026-02-09 |website=Plants of the World Online |language=en}} The maple leaf is used on the Canadian flag and by the [Federal Government](/source/Government_of_Canada) as a personification and identifier on its websites, as part of the [government's wordmark](/source/Federal_Identity_Program). The maple leaf is also used in logos of various Canadian-based companies (including Canadian [subsidiaries](/source/subsidiaries) of foreign companies and small local businesses) and the logos of Canadian sports teams. Examples include [Air Canada](/source/Air_Canada),{{Cite web|title=Trademarks|url=https://www.aircanada.com/ch/en/aco/home/legal/trademarks.html|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.aircanada.com|publisher=Air Canada|language=en-CH}} [General Motors Canada](/source/General_Motors_Canada), the [Toronto Maple Leafs](/source/Toronto_Maple_Leafs) and [Winnipeg Jets](/source/Winnipeg_Jets) [National Hockey League](/source/National_Hockey_League) (NHL) franchises, the [Toronto Blue Jays](/source/Toronto_Blue_Jays) [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) (MLB) franchise, and the [Toronto FC](/source/Toronto_FC) [Major League Soccer](/source/Major_League_Soccer) (MLS) club. Some brands such as [Wendy's](/source/Wendy's) Canada and [McDonald's Canada](/source/McDonald's_Canada) incorporate a Maple Leaf into their corporate logos to distinguish the brand from their American counterparts. The maple leaf is considered a [certification mark](/source/certification_mark) on product labels in Canada, equivalent to "[Product of Canada](/source/Made_in_Canada)" which requires 98% of the total direct costs of the product to be incurred in Canada.{{cite book|first=Gary|last=Gnirss|title=Made in Canada, Eh?|work=Food in Vancouver|volume=67|issue=7|publisher=Glacier Media|location=Vancouver, British Columbia|date=September 2007|page=24|id={{ProQuest|224329565}} |issn=1188-9187}} Since 1979, the [Royal Canadian Mint](/source/Royal_Canadian_Mint) has produced [gold](/source/gold), [silver](/source/silver), [platinum](/source/platinum), and [palladium](/source/palladium) [bullion coin](/source/bullion_coin)s, which are officially known as [Maple Leafs](/source/Maple_Leaf_(coin)), as [geometric](/source/geometric) maple leaves are stamped on them.{{Cite web|title=Gold Maple Leaf Bullion Coins {{!}} The Royal Canadian Mint|url=https://www.mint.ca/store/content/bullionProductDetails.jsp?itemId=prod1630042&cat=Products&nId=7400002&parentnId=1300002&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.mint.ca|archive-date=2020-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106151059/https://www.mint.ca/store/content/bullionProductDetails.jsp?itemId=prod1630042&cat=Products&nId=7400002&parentnId=1300002&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=Silver Maple Leaf Bullion Coin {{!}} The Royal Canadian Mint|url=https://www.mint.ca/store/content/bullionProductDetails.jsp?itemId=prod1630032&cat=Products&nId=7400002&parentnId=1300002&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.mint.ca}}{{Cite web|title=Platinum Maple Leaf Bullion Coin {{!}} The Royal Canadian Mint|url=https://www.mint.ca/store/content/bullionProductDetails.jsp?itemId=prod1660006&cat=Products&nId=7400002&parentnId=1300002&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.mint.ca|archive-date=2020-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106055424/https://www.mint.ca/store/content/bullionProductDetails.jsp?itemId=prod1660006&cat=Products&nId=7400002&parentnId=1300002&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|title=Palladium Maple Leaf Coin {{!}} The Royal Canadian Mint|url=https://www.mint.ca/store/content/bullionProductDetails.jsp?itemId=prod2500601&cat=Products&nId=7400002&parentnId=1300002&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint|access-date=2020-10-13|website=www.mint.ca|archive-date=2020-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014002814/https://www.mint.ca/store/content/bullionProductDetails.jsp?itemId=prod2500601&cat=Products&nId=7400002&parentnId=1300002&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint|url-status=dead}} Signage for the [Trans-Canada Highway](/source/Trans-Canada_Highway) uses a white maple leaf on a green background. ==Other uses== [[File:Chehalis Washington The Maple Leaf City.jpg|thumb|A map showing the [Chehalis River](/source/Chehalis_River_(Washington)), tributaries, and area railroads as forming the shape of a maple leaf]] The Italian city of [Campobasso](/source/Campobasso) was known as "Canada City" or in a minor way "Maple Leaf City", since during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War), Canadian troops invaded the city and freed it from the Germans.{{Cite book|last=Goddard, Lance.|title=Hell & high water : Canada and the Italian campaign|date=2007|publisher=Dundurn Group|isbn=978-1-55002-728-0|location=Toronto|page=75|oclc=163697491}} Moreover, the city has a huge variety of maples which can be found even in the streets. The U.S. city of [Carthage, Missouri](/source/Carthage%2C_Missouri), is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City."{{cite web |url=https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mo-carthage/ |title=Carthage, Missouri – America's Maple Leaf City |access-date=December 27, 2020 |last= |first= |date= |work=Legends of America |publisher= |location= |language= |quote= }} The city of [Chehalis, Washington](/source/Chehalis%2C_Washington), United States, was known as "The Maple-Leaf City".{{cite web|title=The Evergreen State Souvenir by J.O. Hestwood, Chicago: W.B. Conkey Co., 1893, p.38|url=http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv37008fd3|access-date=2020-10-13|archive-date=2018-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203170716/http://access.bl.uk/item/pdf/lsidyv37008fd3|url-status=dead}} The mascot of [Goshen College](/source/Goshen_College) in [Goshen, Indiana](/source/Goshen%2C_Indiana), United States, is the Maple Leaf and the nickname for Goshen College sports teams is the Maple Leafs.{{Cite web|url=https://goleafs.net/|title=Goshen College - Official Athletics Website|website=Goshen College}} It is usually taken as one of the featured symbols on the emblem of the [Pakistani province](/source/Provinces_of_Pakistan) of [Azad Jammu and Kashmir](/source/Azad_Jammu_and_Kashmir), which is not correct. The actual featured symbol is a [chinar](/source/chinar) leaf, with ''chinar'' being the Persian/Turkish/Urdu name for the [oriental plane](/source/oriental_plane) (''Platanus orientalis''), a large broad-leaved deciduous tree. In the city of [Minoh](/source/Minoh) in [Osaka Prefecture](/source/Osaka_Prefecture), Japan, {{lang|ja-Latn|momiji no tempura}} or deep-fried maple leaf is a specialty made from salted maple leaves{{Cite web | title=Maple Leaf Tempura - Gastro Obscura | url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/maple-leaf-tempura-japan | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116060314/https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/maple-leaf-tempura-japan | access-date=2025-10-04 | archive-date=2019-11-16}} whose invention is attributed to 7th-century mystic [En no Gyōja](/source/En_no_Gy%C5%8Dja). thumb|{{lang|ja-Latn|Momiji no tempura}} In [Estonia](/source/Estonia) and [Lithuania](/source/Lithuania), inexperienced drivers are obliged to have a green maple leaf sign visible on the vehicle, serving a similar function that a [P-plate](/source/P-plate) does in some other countries.{{cite web|title=Liikluseeskiri|url=http://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=13305765|work=Elektrooniline Riigi Teataja|publisher=Government of Estonia|access-date=9 July 2010|location=Estonia|language=et|date=25 April 2010}}{{cite web|title=Road traffic rules|url=http://www.regitra.lt/uploads/documents/2013_Eng_KET.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903045651/http://www.regitra.lt/uploads/documents/2013_Eng_KET.pdf|archive-date=2013-09-03}} The maple leaf was also featured on the coat of arms of [Sammatti](/source/Sammatti), Finland. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category|Acer (leaves)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Maple Leaf}} Leaf Category:National symbols of Canada Category:Leaves --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Maple leaf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_leaf) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_leaf?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.