Red Maple
Acer rubrum · Sapindaceae (Soapberry and Maple family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous
Shape
Palmately lobed with 3 to 5 triangular lobes and shallow sinuses
Margin
Serrate (coarsely toothed) along the margins of the lobes
Arrangement
Opposite on the stem
Venation
Palmate venation with primary veins radiating from the base, prominent raised veins on the underside
Key Features
Opposite leaf arrangement, palmately lobed leaves with serrated margins, distinctive red petioles and red winter buds, and typically 3-5 lobes with V-shaped sinuses
Description
Acer rubrum, the Red Maple, is one of the most abundant and widespread deciduous trees in eastern North America. It is celebrated for its brilliant scarlet autumn foliage, smooth grey bark on young trunks becoming dark and furrowed on older trees, small reddish flowers blooming in early spring before leaves emerge, and paired winged samaras (helicopter seeds) that drop in late spring.
Habitat
Typically found in a wide variety of damp to wet soils, floodplains, and swampy woods, but highly adaptable and also thrives in dry upland forests and urban landscapes under full sun to partial shade
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, stretching from southeastern Canada down to Florida and west to Texas; widely planted as an ornamental tree globally