Acer rubrum

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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:-

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. 
Propagation:Can be grown from purchased saplings, seedlings, or from seed. Grows readily from seed.
Availability:Big box stores, Native nurseries, FNPS plant sales, Quality nurseries
Light:-
Moisture Tolerance:
always floodedextremely dry
 (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry)
Moisture Tolerance: Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Not wet but not extremely dry
Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water.
Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance:Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray
Soil or other substrate:Organic material (muck), Sand
Soil pH:Adaptable, but prefers acidic

Ecology

Wildlife:
 

Seeds consumed mostly by squirrels and other rodents. 

Insects:
  

Attracts bees.

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

Native Habitats:Flatwoods, swamps, moist secondary woods

Distribution and Planting Zones

Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones

Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 8A 8B 9A 9B 

USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures

Comments

Ethnobotany:Sap once used as a source of sugar (less desirable that sugar maple sap). Wood strips used to make baskets.
General Comments:

In January the tree bears tiny red flowers followed by conspicuous, bright-red, winged samaras,or keys, which remain on trees for several weeks, serving as indicators of spring.

Florida-grown stock does not need cold temperatures to stimulate flowering, but out-of-state stock does, and should be avoided.

Red maple has the greatest south-north range of tree species in eastern North America.