Leaf
Cephas · CC BY-SA 4.0
Red maple
Acer rubrum L.
Also known as: Scarlet maple, Swamp maple
Family: Sapindaceae
15 to 25 m tall
Planted as a specimen in parks and gardens for its blazing autumn colours
Flowering: February – March, before the leaves
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -30°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Together with sugar maple, it is one of the maples responsible for the famous blazing red autumn colours in eastern Canada and the United States.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, with three to five lobes, medium green, turning intense scarlet red in autumn
🌸 Flowers
Small, red, appearing in tufts before the leaves, very early
🍎 Fruits
Small red then brown samaras, borne in pairs
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth on young trees, cracking into plates with age
🗺️ Distribution
Native to eastern North America, one of Canada's emblematic maples
🐝 Value for pollinators
Very early flowering, a source of pollen and nectar for the first insects of spring
✂️ Horticultural uses
Very widely planted for its blazing scarlet-red autumn colour, one of the best-selling ornamental maples
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Wilted or dried leaves (autumn, broken branches) toxic to horses: cause haemolytic anaemia that can be fatal. To be avoided near pastures or horse enclosures.
🌿 Other Sapindaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
🌱 This database is constantly evolving — species and information are added and corrected regularly. Spotted a mistake? Report it below.
© Floraneo — profile content is protected; reproduction without permission is prohibited. Photos remain under their own licence (see the credit shown on each photo).