Red Maple

Acer rubrum

Also known as

Canadian Maple, Scarlet Maple, Swamp Maple, Soft Maple, Red maple, Maple

Acer rubrum (summertime) by Bmerva (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Full Sun

Moderate care

Light watering

Frost Hardy

RHS hardiness

-20°C

Minimum temperature

Expected size

Height		Spread
20m	Max	10m
10m	Min	8m

25 years to reach maturity

Flowering

spring
summer
autumn
winter

This plant has no fragrance

More images of Red Maple

A bunch of Acer rubrum seeds hanging from a tree

A close up of some green Acer rubrum foliage

A large Acer rubrum tree showing red autumn colouration

An Acer rubrum tree growing in a park showing red autumn colour

The young green leaves of a Acer rubrum plant

Red Maple Overview

Acer rubrum is a bushy, medium to large, deciduous tree species in the Sapindaceae family. The Latin word 'rubrum' means 'red' and in this context, refers to the fantastic autumn colouration of this Acer's leaves - its common names including Red Maple and Scarlet Maple, amongst others. It is a low maintenance, architectural tree that has many sub-species. This hardy (down to -20C) tree forms a rounded to open crown and it can typically reach 30m in height. Clusters of tiny, red flowers appear in spring, followed by lobed, dark green leaves which have a pale blue-white underside. Foliage is arranged oppositely on branches, and the 5–10cm long and wide leaves have serrated edges. Acer Rubrum likes a sheltered position in full sun and needs well-draining soil for optimal growth. It also prefers an acid soil, which helps to maximise its autumn colour.

Common problems with Red Maple

How to propagate Red Maple

Seed

Grafting

Layering

Budding

By budding in summer.

Special features of Red Maple

Attractive leaves

Other uses of Red Maple

A low maintenance tree it is grown as a specimen tree in parks and gardens for it's architectural form and autumn colour. It is also used commercially for the production of maple syrup and lumber.