Acer rubrum

red maple

Sapindaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

45 to 50 ft tall by 35 to 50 ft wide.  Trunk diameter up to 3 ft.

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

red

Fruit Color:

red

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in winter. Fruits ripen quickly after bloom

Noted For:

Showy Fruits, Fall Color, Interesting Bark

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Shade or fall color tree for moist areas.

Rain gardens or bioswales

Considerations:

Fast growing, fairly weak. Shallow, wide-spreading root system. Do not plant near septic tank or drainfield. 

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---- to ---- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam, Organic

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Mammals

Attracts bees.


Larval host for imperial moth ( Eacles imperialis ) , cecropia silkmoth ( Hyalophora cecropia ), polyphemus moth( Antheraea polyphemus ) and rosy maple moth ( Dryocampa rubicunda ).

Seeds consumed mostly by squirrels and other rodents. 

Native Habitats:

Flatwoods, swamps, moist secondary woods