Acer rubrum

Common Names

Red Maple, Swamp Maple, Scarlet Maple, Soft Maple, Water Maple

Summary

Acer rubrum, commonly called Red Maple, is a native deciduous tree of eastern North America that typically reaches 40–70 feet tall with a rounded to oval crown, it has opposite, simple leaves with three to five lobes and green uppersides with silvery undersides, and it is known for brilliant fall color ranging from yellow to red, spring displays include red flowers and two-winged samaras that mature to red-brown, the bark is smooth and gray when young aging to fissured and a shallow root system is often present, for cultivation Red Maple prefers full sun to partial shade and moist acidic to neutral soils tolerating wet sites and a wide soil range, hardiness zones 3–9, it is easily transplanted and widely used as a shade tree, street tree, or specimen plant with many cultivars selected for form and autumn color (Armstrong, Autumn Flame, Bowhall, October Glory, Red Sunset), it has a shallow root system that can affect sidewalks and lawns, pests and diseases include aphids, leafhoppers, borers, scale, and verticillium wilt, while manganese chlorosis can occur in high-pH soils, propagation for cultivars is usually by cuttings or tissue culture, with seeds also possible for the species

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

40-70 feet

Spread

420-540 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun, tolerates partial sun, partial shade, and full shade.

Soil Type

Moist, acidic, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

6.0-7.0, Slightly acidic to neutral

Bloom Color

Red

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green in summer, red in fall, fall foliage ranges from yellow to red.

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow, orange, and red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast-growing, about 1–2 feet per year

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Budding/Grafting, Vegetative sprouts

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators, Attracts birds