Foliage: Deciduous broadleaf
Height: 40 to 60 feet
Spread: 40 to 60 feet
Summer foliage is green above, gray underneath, turning yellow to red in fall. Bark is smooth and gray.
Zone: 3 to 10
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Moisture: Wet, moist, or dry
Soil Type: Sandy, loam, or clay
pH Range: 3.7 to 7.0
Suggested uses for this plant include shade, street tree, specimen plant, and naturalizing.
Plant in spring. Transplants readily using small-sized trees that have bare roots. When planting large trees, their roots should be balled and burlapped. Tolerates wide range of soils, except those with a very high pH. Not salt tolerant.
Prune dead and/or damaged wood any time of year.
See Soil Improvement
The Red Maple is relatively weak-wooded and subject to storm damage. Iron chlorosis (an iron deficiency) is a frequent problem in soils with a high pH.
Consult local sources, including historic or public gardens and arboreta, regarding cultivars and related species that grow well in your area.
Cultivars of ACER RUBRUM
`Red Sunset' has excellent red to orange fall color and a notable pyramidal to rounded shape.
`October Glory' is a well-shaped tree which tends to retain its leaves until later in the fall.
`Autumn Flame' has an early display of red fall color and develops a rounded shape as a mature tree.
One of the first signs of spring is the flowers of the Red Maple. The profusion of tiny, red flowers against its smooth gray bark is a beautiful sight. Red Maple is also one of the first trees to change color in the fall. When looking for a Red Maple with outstanding red fall color, look for a named cultivar.