Red Maple
Acer rubrum · Sapindaceae (Soapberry family, traditionally placed in Aceraceae)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous leaf
Shape
Palmate with 3 to 5 distinct, sharply toothed lobes and V-shaped sinuses between them
Margin
Serrate (coarsely toothed along the edges of the lobes)
Arrangement
Opposite arrangement on the twig with a slender petiole
Venation
Palmate venation with primary veins radiating outward from the base of the leaf blade, prominently raised on the underside
Key Features
Opposite leaf arrangement, 3 to 5 palmately lobed leaves with V-shaped sinuses, coarsely serrated margins, red twigs, and brilliant crimson autumn foliage
Description
The Red Maple is one of the most beloved and geographically abundant trees in eastern North America, renowned for its dazzling display of early autumn color. Featuring a medium to large deciduous canopy, smooth gray bark in youth that darkens and scuffs with age, and small reddish flowers appearing before leaves in spring, it is a quintessential forest tree.
Habitat
Thrives in a wide variety of habitats from moist soils, swamps, and bottomlands to dry uplands; adaptable to both acidic and moist soils in full sun to partial shade
Native Range
Native to eastern North America, stretching from southeastern Canada down through the eastern and central United States to Florida and eastern Texas