Red Maple

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iRed Maple

New spring growth on Red Maple
Nesmith, South Carolina

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Aceraceae
Genus:	Acer
Species:	A. rubrum

Binomial name

Acer rubrum
L.

Range

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is also known as Swamp Maple or Soft Maple. It is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America, ranging from Lake of the Woods on the Ontario/Minnesota border, east to Newfoundland, south to near Miami, Florida, and southwest to east Texas.

Red Maple leaf from specimen in northern Florida

Fall foliage

Flowers

Samaras at Milford, New Hampshire. Red Maple fruit matures and drops in spring.

Mature bark, at Hemingway, South Carolina

Over most of its range, Red Maple is adaptable to a wide range of site conditions. It can be found growing in swamps, on poor dry soils, and anywhere in between. It also tolerates a wide range of pH, though chlorosis can occur on more alkaline soils. Red Maple is a medium- to large-sized tree, reaching heights of 20-30 m (rarely over 40 m), a diameter of .5 to near 2m, and can live for 100-200 years, occasionally longer.

Though it is generally fairly easy to identify, Red Maple is likely the most highly variable in morphological characteristics of any North American maple. The leaves of the Red Maple are the easiest way to distinguish it from other maples. Like other American maples, they are deciduous and arranged oppositely on the twig. The leaves of Red Maples are typically 5-10 cm long and equally wide with 3-5 irregularly toothed lobes (in contrast, the leaves of the closely related Silver Maple Acer saccharinum are much more deeply notched and characteristically have 5 lobes). The upper side of the leaf is light green and the underside is whitish. The leaf stalks are usually red, as are the twigs. The leaves turn a brilliant red in autumn.

The twigs of the Red Maple are red to greyish-brown and hairless. Dwarf shoots are present on many branches. In winter, the twigs bear clusters of flower buds, easily seen from a distance. The twigs of Red Maple are almost impossible to distinguish from those of Silver Maple, except that the latter have an unpleasant odor when bruised.

The flowers are single-sex, with male and female flowers in separate clusters, though usually on the same tree. The female (seed), flowers are red with 5 very small petals and sepals borne in clusters, usually at the twig tips. The male (pollen) flowers are nothing more than yellow stamens protruding from dwarf shoots on the branches. Both types of flowers are found on the same tree, but young trees may only produce one type. Flowering starts early in the year after 1-30 growing degree days.

The fruit is a samara, variable in color from red to brown to yellow. The samaras are 15-25 mm long and borne in pairs at an angle of 50-60 degrees. They mature in late May or early June.

Red Maple frequently hybridizes with Silver Maple; the hybrid, known as Freeman's Maple Acer x freemanii, is intermediate between the parents.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Red Maple is widely grown as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens, except where soils are alkaline or salty. In parts of the Pacific Northwest, it is one of the most common introduced trees. Numerous cultivars have been selected, often for intensity of fall color, with 'October Glory' and 'Red Sunset' among the most popular. Toward its southern limit, 'Fireburst', 'Florida Flame', and 'Gulf Ember' are preferred. Many cultivars of Freeman's Maple are also grown widely.

The Red Maple is a good choice of a tree for urban areas when there is ample room for its root system. The Red Maple is excellent at withstanding harsh urban conditions, including tolerance of both dry and wet soils, and a higher tolerance of pollution than the Sugar Maple. Like other maples, its root system can be invasive and it makes a poor choice for plantings in narrow strips between a sidewalk and a street, although arguably a better choice than Silver or Sugar maples. Like the Silver Maple, it attracts squirrels, which eat its buds in the early spring, although squirrels prefer the larger buds of the Silver maple.

The sap of the Red Maple can be used to produce maple syrup or sugar, but it is less sweet than that of the Sugar Maple.

Red Maple is the State Tree of Rhode Island.