Botanical Name: Acer rubrum
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Common Name: Red Maple  
Plant photo of: Acer rubrum
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Tree

 

Height Range

40-60'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

Red

 

Fruit Season

Summer, Fall

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Medium

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Ranch, Wetlands, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Lawn, Street Tree

 

Special Uses

Shade Tree

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: GardenSoft

  • Description

  • Notes

Red maples are large, deciduous trees with 3 to 5-lobed leaves of medium green. Fall color varies with cultivar. Size also varies with cultivar; the species ranges from 40 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 40 feet wide. Its habit is generally upright and rounded to oval. Relatively fast growing. Tiny red spring flowers are followed by winged seedpods called sumara. Young bark is grey and smooth, becoming a warm brown with an attractive scaly texture as it ages.
Grow in nearly any soil as long as it is well drained. Prefers loamy soils. Grows in full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Can be chlorotic in alkaline soils. When planted in lawns that are over watered, it may become shallow rooted.