Red Maple, Acer rubrum, is a medium-sized, deciduous tree that typically grows 40-60 feet tall with a rounded to oval crown. Red Maple usually occurs in wet bottomland, river flood plains and wet woods, but frequents drier, rocky upland areas.
Emerging new growth leaves, leafstalks, twigs, flowers, fruit and fall color are red or tinged with red. Quality of red fall color on species plants is variable. Leaves are 2 to 5 inches long and have 3 principal triangular lobes. Lobes have toothed margins and pointed tips. Leaves are medium to dark green above and gray green below.
Flowers on a given tree are primarily male or female or monoecious and appear in late winter to early spring (March-April) before the leaves. Fruit is a two-winged samara. The root system consists of a taproot with lateral roots; they are variable in length, depending on the amount of moisture that is available.
Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a wide range of soils, but prefers moist, slightly acid conditions. It grows moderately fast while young, bearing samaras in as little as 5 years. Longevity of mature trees is typically 75-150 years.
Red Maple is typically associated with American Elm, Green Ash, Silver Maple, and other deciduous trees that occur in soggy woodlands, where it is occasionally dominant or codominant. Because of fire suppression, Red Maple has become more common in upland woodlands in some eastern states. It is often cultivated as a landscape tree.