Red Maple
Acer rubrum · Sapindaceae (Soapberry and Maple family)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous
Shape
Palmate-lobed with typically 3 to 5 distinct triangular lobes, featuring a prominent, elongated central lobe.
Margin
Coarsely serrate (toothed) along the margins of all lobes.
Arrangement
Opposite
Venation
Palmate venation with three primary prominent veins radiating from the base, accompanied by a reticulate net-like secondary venation.
Key Features
Opposite leaf arrangement, palmately lobed leaves with serrated margins, V-shaped leaf sinuses, red-tinged petioles, and bright red twigs and buds in winter.
Description
The red maple is one of the most abundant and widespread deciduous trees in eastern North America. Known for its brilliant scarlet autumn foliage, it features a medium to large upright crown, smooth gray bark on younger trunks that darkens and develops scaly ridges with age, and distinctive small red flowers appearing in early spring before the leaves.
Habitat
Typically found in diverse moist to wet woods, swamps, floodplains, and occasionally upland sites with acidic soils, thriving in full sun to partial shade.
Native Range
Native to eastern and central North America, ranging from southeastern Canada down through the eastern United States to Florida and Texas.