I live in a state where they’re listed as at risk. Several years ago I spent about a month going back and forth with someone who sold leaves to a local food co-op to convince him to bring me some with roots just so I could replant them. I showed him pictures of our small existing patch, explained that I wanted some from his patch for the genetic diversity, and agreed to meet him at a moment’s notice to ensure they would be replanted immediately. The past few years I’ve been able to collect and plant seeds from our patch around other maples in our woods and still don’t harvest more than a handful of leaves all season.

We can’t have nice things because social media and capitalism.