Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Red maple is one of North America's most widespread and adaptable trees, prized for its brilliant scarlet fall color and early red flowers. It thrives in a remarkable range of soils, from swamps to dry ridges.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate to high; tolerates wet soil
- Difficulty
- Easy
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Overview
Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a fast-growing, medium-to-large deciduous tree native to eastern North America. It earns its name from the red coloring of its buds, flowers, twigs, leafstalks, and especially its fiery autumn foliage.
Exceptionally adaptable, it grows in everything from standing-water swamps to dry uplands, making it one of the most common trees on the continent and a popular shade and street tree.
How to identify it
- Leaves: Opposite, 3-5 lobed leaves with toothed (serrated) margins and reddish leafstalks; whitish underside
- Fall color: Brilliant red to orange, often very early in the season
- Flowers: Small, showy red clusters appearing before the leaves in early spring
- Bark: Smooth and gray on young trees, becoming darker, ridged, and scaly with age
- Form: Rounded to oval crown, typically 40-70 ft tall
- Fruit: Paired winged samaras ('helicopters'), often reddish
Care & growing
Light: Full sun to partial shade.
Water: Prefers moist soil and tolerates wet, poorly drained sites; also handles moderate drought.
Soil: Highly adaptable but favors slightly acidic soils; can develop chlorosis on high-pH ground.
Temperature: Hardy USDA zones 3-9.
Feeding: Generally not needed in decent soil.
Propagation: Grown from seed; cultivars are propagated by grafting or cuttings. Prune in summer to avoid heavy sap bleeding.
Habitat & origin
Red maple ranges across eastern North America from Canada to Florida and west to the Great Plains. It occupies an enormous variety of habitats, from swamps and floodplains to dry rocky ridges.
It is one of the most abundant native trees in eastern forests and is widely planted as a shade and ornamental tree in parks, yards, and along streets.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called red maple?
Because red appears in nearly every part of the tree at some point: its spring flowers, buds, twigs, leafstalks, and especially its scarlet autumn leaves.
Can red maple grow in wet soil?
Yes. It is also called swamp maple and tolerates wet, poorly drained sites better than most maples, while still handling drier ground.
How fast does red maple grow?
It is a relatively fast grower, often adding 1-2 feet per year when young, which makes it a popular shade tree.
Red Maple guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Red Maple.
