USDA Plants Database
NWF Native Gardening and Invasive Plants Guide
Red Maple, Swamp Maple, Scarlet Maple
Acer rubrum (Aceraceae family)
Hardiness:
Zones 3-9
Native Range:
Native from Newfoundland to central Florida and westward to Minnesota, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Habit:
Large tree with a wide, irregularly-shaped or rounded crown. Older trees have ascending branches
Culture:
Red maples occur naturally in low wet areas, but are highly adaptable to most soil conditions. They perform well in both sun and partial shade. Red maples should be planted as balled and burlaped young trees in spring or fall.
Leaves:
Their large, glossy leaves emerge pale green and change to deep green during the summer months. The mature leaves are very stiff and are partly rust-colored on the underside. The old leaves drop in spring and fall, and decompose very slowly.
Flowers:
The flowers on red maples appear in late March or early April. They grow in dense clusters along the branches and appear before the leaves emerge. Both the buds and flowers are red.
Fruit:
Produces samara (winged fruit), which are reddish-green and change to brown when dry. They are sometimes referred to as helicopters because the samara twist and twirl through the air on their way to the ground.
Red maples are one of the most popular landscape trees in the Washington, D.C., area. They are highly adaptable and perform well in most situations. There are several new cultivars commercially available; Armstrong, Autumn Flame, October Glory, and Red Sunset are the most common.
Red maples can be seen at the Zoo on Olmsted Walk near the Visitor Center and on the path around Lemur Island.
References:
Dirr, Michael. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants.
