Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Search native plant database:
Name:    
Family:    

Acer rubrum (Red maple)
Wasowski, Sally and Andy

Acer rubrum L.

Red maple, Scarlet maple

Aceraceae (Maple Family)

USDA Symbol: acru

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Large tree with narrow or rounded, compact crown and red flowers, fruit, leafstalks, and autumn foliage. This popular ornamental tree grows 40-60 ft. in cultivation, occasionally reaching 100-120 ft. in the wild. Leaves vary from 3- to 5-lobed, with lobes separated by V-shaped angles. Male trees have notable pinkish red flowers in early spring, and females display decorative red samaras soon after. Young, vigorous trees have smooth, silvery gray bark which provides winter interest. Roots in a dense, fibrous network, often preventing other plants from growing near its trunk. Fall foliage is quite variable, ranging from the brilliant red for which the species is known, to yellow or greenish-yellow.

Three varieties are commonly recognized: Variety rubrum has 5-lobed leaves that are smooth or hairy only along the midvein on the underside. Variety drummondii, known as Drummond Maple, Drummond Red Maple, or Swamp Maple, has 3- to 5-lobed leaves that are hairy over their entire lower surface. It tends to prefer moist, swampy sites. Variety trilobum, Trident Maple or Trident Red Maple, has similarly hairy but always 3-lobed leaves, the lower 2 lobes of which are somewhat compressed. Its leaves are more likely to turn yellow in the fall than those of the other varieties. It prefers drier sites than variety drummondii.

Red Maple is a handsome shade tree, named for its often red autumn leaf display. It has the greatest north-south distribution of all tree species along the East Coast, ranging from eastern Canada south to Florida and west to east Texas. Infrequent in forest; mostly found as understory. Very tolerant of most soils, but prefers slightly acid, moist conditions; tolerant of ozone and intermediately tolerant of sulphur dioxide. Not particularly urban tolerant, although planted in ever-increasing numbers in cities (Dirr 1998). Red maple is less reliably symmetrical than the hard maples.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Palmate
Size Class: 72-100 ft. , 36-72 ft.
Leaf Shape: Cuneate
Leaf Venation: Palmately Veined
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous , Hirsute
Leaf Margin: Serrate
Leaf Base: Cordate , Rounded
Leaf Texture: Smooth
Breeding System: Dioecious
Fruit Type: Samara
Size Notes: 50-100 ft. tall
Leaf Color: Green, turning red or yellow in fall
Autumn Foliage: yes
Flower Size: 2 mm long
Fruit Length: 1 to 1.5 inches
Fruit Color: Red, Brown

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr
Bloom Notes: Male trees have decorative blooms

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , IA , KY , LA , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MS , MO , NH , NJ , NY , NC , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VT , VA , WV , WI , DC
Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC
Native Distribution: Nf. to s. Ont., s. to FL & e. TX
Native Habitat: Moist soils along stream banks; moist to drier woodlands
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8) , Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Drought Tolerance: Low
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Moist, slightly acidic soils.
Conditions Comments: Though usually found in moist woodlands and wet swamps, also found in drier Post Oak woods.
Texas comments: Occurs naturally only in moist East Texas but widely grown in heavily watered residential landscapes.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: A popular landscaping tree for its colorful fall foliage, smoky red male flowers in spring, and red samaras on female trees.
Use Wildlife: Browsed by deer and moose. Also used by squirrels and a variety of birds (Wasowski and Wasowski 1994). Maples are widely used by inchworms (Geometridae) and relied on by the Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda), the Oval-based Prominent (Peridea basitriens), the Retarded Dagger Moth (Acronicta rubicoma), the Orange-humped Maple Worm (Symmerista leucitys), the Maple Looper (Parallelia bistriaris), and the Baltimore Bomolocha (Bomolocha baltimoralis) (Tallamy 2009).
Use Other: Pioneers made ink and cinnamon-brown and black dyes from a bark extract.
Warning: Leaves and bark poisonous to livestock.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds
Larval Host: Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) specifically favors Red Maple. Several other moths lay their eggs on maples generally.
Deer Resistant: No

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Acer rubrum is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Rosy maple moth
(Dryocampa rubicunda)

Larval Host
Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds
Description: Seeds mature in early summer and will germinate without pretreatment although treatment will hasten and unify germination. Softwood cuttings root readily with hormone.
Seed Collection: As soon as samaras turn yellowish or reddish brown and the seeds inside are firm, filled out, and dark brown. Best to gather from the tree as seeds that have already dropped lose viability quickly and are easily infested. Seed is usually not extracted from the samara. Keep in cold, moist storage.
Seed Treatment: Stratify 60-75 days at 41 degrees or use a cold water soak for 2-5 days.
Commercially Avail: yes
Please support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.

PlantWise: Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants

Acer rubrum (Red maple) is a PlantWise native alternative for:

   Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
   Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple)

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Question: I live in Hudson, WI, just across the border from Minn/St Paul and would like to create a privacy screen between my front yard and my neighbors yard. Right now it's full sun, but I want to plant a couple of trees as well (probably maples). I don't like the formal look of a hedge, and would like something that is interesting in the winter as well. I have lots of space. I would also be interested in planting a variety of plants. I'm new to this area, so I'm not very familiar with the plants of the north.
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: What flowers and plants do the caterpillars in Tennessee eat? And do you know what butterflies live in Tipton Co. Tennessee?
click here to view the full question and answer

Question: I have alpacas and wonder if black walnut or sugar maple are poisonous to them.
click here to view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Plant Nursery - Sanibel, FL

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (2009) Tallamy, Douglas W.
Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Gardening with Native Plants of the South (1994) Wasowski and Wasowski
* How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest: Revised and Updated Edition (2001) Nokes, J.
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses (1998) Dirr, M. A.
* Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
* Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Acer rubrum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Acer rubrum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Acer rubrum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-11-26
Research By: TWC Staff, GDG

Go back