Leaf Morphology
Leaf Type
Simple, deciduous leaf
Shape
Palmate-lobed with three prominent triangular lobes
Margin
Serrate (coarsely toothed edges along the lobes)
Arrangement
Opposite arrangement on the twig with a slender, reddish petiole
Venation
Palmate venation with three primary veins radiating from the base, branching into a reticulate net-like network
Key Features
Opposite leaf arrangement, 3 to 5 lobed leaves with serrated margins, V-shaped sinuses between lobes, and reddish leaf stalks (petioles)
Description
Acer rubrum is one of the most abundant and geographically widespread deciduous trees in eastern North America. Known for its brilliant scarlet fall foliage, it features a rounded or oval canopy, smooth gray bark on young trees becoming ridged and scaly with age, and distinctive reddish twigs and buds.
Habitat
Thrives in a wide variety of sites, particularly wet soils, swamps, and bottomlands, but also adapts well to drier upland forests and urban landscapes
Native Range
Native to eastern North America, stretching from southeastern Canada down through the eastern United States to Florida and Texas