Southern Sugar Maple. Southern sugar maple (Acer barbatum) is often used as a substitute for sugar maple (Acer saccharum) in the South. This heat-tolerant, deciduous tree grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant zones 7 through 9. It generally reaches only 20 to 25 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide.outhern sugar maple (Acer barbatum) is often used as a substitute for sugar maple (Acer saccharum) in the South. This heat-tolerant, deciduous tree grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant zones 7 through 9.