FNPS Plant Database

Acer rubrum

red maple
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: John Bradford, Martin County Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

red maple

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Acer rubrum

Family:

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. 

Availability:

Big Box Stores, Quality Nurseries, Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales

Propagation:

Can be grown from purchased saplings, seedlings, or from seed. Grows readily from seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡â–¡

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

Soil pH:

adaptable, but prefers acidic

Suitable to Grow In:

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

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

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

Natural Range in Florida:

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.

Citations:

Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H.; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 (  https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). Red maple ( https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/acer/rubrum.htm ).



Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell.  1999.  Native Florida Plants.  Gulf Publishing Company.  Houston, TX.



Huegel, Craig, N.  2010.  Native plant landscaping for Florida wildlife.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL. (wildlife uses).



Nelson, Gil.  2003.  Florida's Best Landscape Plants. Association of Florida Native Nurseries.



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



University of Tennessee Extension Service.  Desired Ph Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants.    https://extension.tennessee.edu/mtnpi/Documents/handouts/Fertility/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf   accessed 2021.



atkins, John and Thomas Sheehan.  1975.  Florida Landscape Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville. (light, soil, salt)



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Request an update