The symbol of Canada is the sugar maple, which grows in the Great lakes region and in Eastern America. The first written mention of maple leaf as a symbol dates back to 1760. In the late 1830s, the Baptist society of St. John in Quebec adopted a maple leaf as a symbol of his society. It was carried by the Canadians as a national symbol on the Prince of Wales, when he in 1860, first visited Canada. Officially maple leaf became a national symbol of Canada in 1965, since then it is depicted on the flag of the country.