Start growing
Rapid growth. Tolerates partial shade and a wide variety of soils.
GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.
THE PLANT NOTEBOOK
Red Maple care, from seed onward.
- Botanical name
- Acer rubrum
- Common names
- Scarlet Maple, Swamp Maple
- Family
- Sapindaceae
- Genus
- Acer
- Species
- A. rubrum
Growing with your kit
Seeds In A Cup® seeds are harvested fresh in spring and intended for immediate 'direct-action' sowing.
Propagation
By seed or softwood cuttings.
Seasonal growth & harvest
One of the first trees to bloom in spring (red clusters) and show color in fall (brilliant scarlet).
Growing conditions
Adaptable to everything from swamps to dry ridges.
Weather & tolerances
Highly flood tolerant; moderate drought tolerance. Low salt tolerance.
Pests & plant health
Maple gall mites and verticillium wilt.
Plant safety
Safe for humans; wilting leaves are toxic to horses.
Botanical features
A medium to large deciduous tree with 3-lobed leaves and red winged seeds (samaras).
Varieties
‘October Glory’, ‘Red Sunset’.
Garden & everyday uses
Popular ornamental for its fall color. used for timber and maple syrup (though sap is less sweet than Sugar Maple)
Native range & distribution
Eastern North America, from Canada to Florida.
Conservation
Increasingly dominant in Eastern forests due to fire suppression.
Name origins
Latin ‘rubrum’ (Red) – everything about it can be red: buds, flowers, twigs, and fall leaves.
History
Official state tree of Rhode Island.