Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Tree
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 10b
Plant Height:	40-70 feet
Plant Spread:	30-50 feet
Leaves:	Good fall color Deciduous Other: Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Very cold hardy. Leaves are shiny green above and pale green beneath, 3-5 lobed and 3-6" across. Species name of rubrum (meaning red) is everywhere in evidence
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Other: Red, sometimes yellow
Flower Time:	Late winter or early spring Other: March to April
Suitable Locations:	Street Tree
Uses:	Provides winter interest Shade Tree Water gardens Will Naturalize
Propagation: Seeds:	Stratify seeds: no stratification required Needs specific temperature: likes warm soil temperatures (70 F) to germinate Days to germinate: 7-14 days Depth to plant seed: 1-2 inches Can handle transplanting Will not come true from seed
Pollinators:	Wind
Containers:	Not suitable for containers
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil

Common names

Red Maple
Scarlet Maple
Maple

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by aikenforflowers

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-03-27

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Aberdeen, NC Pages Lake park (below dam area)
Date: May 15, 2023
Red Admiral butterfly, Vanessa atatlanta, on Red Maple leaf on Ab

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: In my garden, Falls Church, VA
Date: 2017-11-11
This maple tree has more red in the leaves.

Uploaded by Frenchy21

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2021-01-26

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Benedict Hosta Hillside, Hidden Lake Gardens, Tipton, Michigan
Date: 2020-10-28
Apart from some dried fern fronds in the upper right, every leaf

Uploaded by arctangent

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2020-01-11
Numerous Bracket Fungi growing on a dead stump.

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2020-10-10
Red Maple (Acer rubrum).

Uploaded by janelp_lee

Location: Botanical Garden of the University of Münster
Date: 2017-09-19

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: My garden, Pequea, PA 17565
Date: 2016-11-08
Fall floliage

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2021-01-01

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Fairfax, VA | November, 2023
Date: 2023-11-09

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Chudleigh, Tasmania.
Date: 2019-09-12

Uploaded by LolaTasmania

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Southern Pines, NC
Date: March 6, 2022
Red maple #98; RAB p. 688, 115-1-4; AG page 117, 29-3-5; LHB pag

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Date: 2021-04-03
Acer rubrum blooms, cultivar unknown

Uploaded by arctangent

Uploaded by Phytodiscovery

Location: southeast pennsylvania
Date: 2015-10-24
full-grown tree in landscape with orange fall color

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: In my garden, Falls Church, VA
Date: 2018-03-18
March 2018

Uploaded by Frenchy21

Uploaded by RuuddeBlock

Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-04-17

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2021-01-01
Pice from a branch chewed by a squirrel for use as nesting materi

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2023-12-22
Autumn color in December. (Florida) :)

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2019-01-08

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Nichols Arboretum, Ann Arbor
Date: 2012-04-17
Red keys or samaras (maple fruit) replace red blooms, even before

Uploaded by arctangent

Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA
Date: 2021-11-09
autumn leaves of the native red maple at yellow in my Georgia 7b

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: In my garden, Falls Church, VA
Date: 2017-11-11
The fall color is primarily yellow.

Uploaded by Frenchy21

Location: My garden, Pequea, Pennsylvania, USA
Date: 2018-11-03

Uploaded by csandt

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2019-03-10
Leaves of a young sapling tree.

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Aberdeen, NC
Date: March 2, 2022
Red maple #98 (RAB p. 688, 115-1-4); AG page 117, 29-3-5; LHB pa

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA (zone 7b north Geogia mountains)
Date: 2022-10-25

Uploaded by LoriMT

Location: Aberdeen, NC
Date: March 22, 2022
Red maple #98 (RAB p. 688, 115-1-4); AG page 117, 29-3-5; LHB pa

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: Fairfax, Virginia (May 2022)
Date: 2022-05-18

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Fairfax, Virginia (May 2022)
Date: 2022-05-22

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2019-01-18

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-03-27
Bloom starts late winter into early spring

Uploaded by jmorth

Location: Los Angeles Arboretum, Arcadia, California
Date: 2011-11-27

Uploaded by Kelli

Uploaded by hementia

Location: Los Angeles Arboretum, Arcadia, California
Date: 2012-11-24

Uploaded by Kelli

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Date: 2021-04-03
Acer rubrum, cultivar unknown, in bloom. Red maples bloom earlie

Uploaded by arctangent

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2019-01-04

Uploaded by plantladylin

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Sebastian, Florida
Date: 2017-04-20

Uploaded by plantladylin

Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Date: 2011-02-21

Uploaded by Mangogirl

Location: Southern Pines, NC (Reservoir Park)
Date: June 23, 2022
Red maple #98; RAB p. 688, 115-1-4; AG page 117, 29-3-5; LHB pag

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: In an Oklahoma City garden
Date: Fall, 2006
Freeman's Maple (Acer x freemanii Autumn Blaze) 001

Uploaded by jathton

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: My garden, Pequea, Pennsylvania USA
Date: 2018-03-07

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
Date: 2024-03-17
full-grown tree in bloom with its small red flowers

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Reading, Pennsylvania
Date: 2024-03-17
top of full-grown tree in red bloom

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Kansas City Missouri
Date: 2022-04-12
Dissection of a Red Maple flower

Uploaded by Eean

Location: southeast pennsylvania
Date: 2010-11-09
leaves with yellow fall color, not a cultivar

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Fairfax, VA | October 2022
Date: 2022-11-01

Uploaded by sedumzz

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: Willow Valley Communities, Lakes Campus, Willow Street, Pennsylvania USA
Date: 2019-10-11

Uploaded by csandt

Location: Fairfax, Virginia (Outdoors)
newely opened

Uploaded by sedumzz

Location: my garden in Dawsonville, GA
Date: 2021-11-09
Autumn color of the native red maple is yellow in my Georgia 7b g

Uploaded by LoriMT

Copyright © 2008–2015 Jan De Langhe. Non-commercial use of mat

Uploaded by admin

Location: Marsh Creek Lake Park in southeast PA
Date: 2018-01-18
single, mature tree in winter

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Marsh Creek Lake Park in southeast PA
Date: 2018-01-18
mature trunk

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Hibernia County Park in southeast Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-03-31
flowers in spring

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: Hibernia County Park in southeast Pennsylvania
Date: 2010-03-31
close-up of flowers

Uploaded by ILPARW

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-04-22

Uploaded by jmorth

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Nov 13, 2017 4:07 PM concerning plant:

It is a very common tree in its native range from southeast Canada down to all of Florida to east Texas up to northern Minnesota. In Pennsylvania I see it growing in upland mountain ridges as on Hawk Mountain near Reading or it makes up a good part of the regular mature upland forest or it grows in swamps and bottomlands. It grows about 1.5 to 2 feet/year and lives about 100 to 150 years. It has shallow, fibrous roots and it is easy to transplant. It is sold by many nurseries and it is an abundant landscape tree. I have seen it do poorly in parking lot islands when there is lots of drought. In northern and central Illinois it sometimes develops magnesium deficiency and the foliage yellows and the tree dies unless treated with micronutrient chelate fertilizer; this happens because the pH is often higher than 7.0 in the soil of that region. A good quality tree that is most often sold as a cultivar that develops red or orange-red fall color as 'Red Sunset' or 'October Glory' the most; and there are many more cultivars that I have never seen.

Reply to this comment
Posted by sedumzz (Fairfax VA - Zone 7a) on Jan 5, 2022 8:23 PM concerning plant:

A really common landscaping tree.

It's not too bad with raking leaves and it's very pretty. Only complaint is that if the tree gets large enough, the large amount of seeds and seedlings can get annoying to weed out.

Reply to this comment
Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Sep 8, 2011 6:49 PM concerning plant:

The most common and widespread deciduous tree in North America, the Red Maple can attain heights of over 50'. It is used as a shade tree in landscapes and is adaptable to a wide range of conditions. This tree is known for its attractive foliage which turns a deep scarlet color in autumn.

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Plant Events from our members
WebTucker	On March 6, 2022	Bloomed

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Discussion Threads about this plant

Thread Title	Last Reply	Replies
looks to be a good shot of pure Red Maple leaves by ILPARW	Oct 22, 2020 2:29 PM	1

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Acer Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Acer
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)