What type of leaf is on the Canadian flag?

The Canadian flag features a maple leaf. Its central emblem is a stylized red, 11-pointed maple leaf placed on a white square between two vertical red bands.

Canada officially adopted the design on February 15, 1965, after a major parliamentary dispute known as the Great Canadian Flag Debate. The design was developed from a proposal by George F. G. Stanley, with the final leaf artwork created by Jacques Saint-Cyr.

The maple leaf had already been associated with Canada for more than a century. It appeared on the emblems of Ontario and Quebec in 1868, featured in the patriotic song “The Maple Leaf Forever,” and became part of Canada’s coat of arms in 1921.

The flag is often called the Maple Leaf or l’Unifolié, meaning “one-leaved” in French. Despite a popular misconception, the leaf’s 11 points do not represent Canada’s provinces or territories; the shape was selected after wind-tunnel testing to remain visually clear in strong wind.