Red Maple, Acer rubrum

By Betsy Washington, Northern Neck Native Plant Society

Red Maples, also called Swamp or Scarlet Maples, are known for their brilliant fall color. Now they may seem to be a surprising choice for the February Plant of the Month, but they are a true harbinger of spring, blooming in late winter often as early as February in Coastal Virginia. While night-time temperatures can still dip below freezing, clusters of rosy-red buds held snug against the light gray bark begin to open creating a rosy glow against the blue winter sky. Although the flowers are small, they occur in dense clusters and are incredibly showy up close. The long red styles and/or stamens burst like miniature fireworks beyond the small red petals, well before the leaves emerge. Red Maples can have a rather unusual sex life; trees can have mostly male flowers accented with bursts of pollen-producing stamens while others produce only female flowers with long red styles and stigmas. Other individuals can mix it up with flowers containing both male and female parts. Regardless, Red Maples are one of the earliest nectar sources, blooming before most others, and attract a variety of early pollinators including several specialist bees which rely on Red Maple pollen for their young. These precocious bees are capable of flying at temperatures in the 40’s, maybe lower, by warming themselves in the sun at the mouths of their underground nests as well as shivering their wings or body to generate heat and warm themselves.

The early red floral show is followed by paired, rosy-red, winged fruit (technically called schizocarps) but more commonly referred to as samaras or the “helicopters” or “whirly-gigs” to many of us in our childhood. Unlike most maples that fruit in fall, Red Maple’s ripen in mid to late spring and provide food for a variety of songbirds and small mammals when they are nesting. The Gray Squirrel in particular relishes the flower buds and abundant seeds. You must have guessed that Red Maples get their name from the red flowers, samaras and brilliant red fall color. Even the twigs, buds, and leaf stalks are often bright red, extending the show through the seasons, which may be an adaptation to help attract these time-sensitive pollinators to the tree top.

Like other maples, Red Maples have leaves arranged opposite each other at nodes along the stems and are slightly smaller than those of other native maples. Each leaf typically has 3 short triangular lobes, often with two smaller lobes near the base. In fall, the foliage ignites into one of our most brilliant fall foliage displays, often a brilliant scarlet or red but this varies from tree to tree with vivid oranges and golds in the mix. Many cultivars of Red Maples are available in the nursery trade but they are identical genetic clones, growing into the identical trees and displaying the exact same fall color at the same time. To me, none of these cultivars are as beautiful as a wild grown stand of Red Maples creating a crescendo of glorious blazing reds and oranges and golds.

Red Maples are deservedly popular and widespread in both human and natural landscapes. They grow naturally in a variety of soils and habitats, from rocky upland deciduous forests to steamy southern swamps, ranging from Canada south to Florida and eastern Texas. In Virginia, Red Maples occur in every county from the western mountains to interdune swales and swamps along the coast. At one time Red Maples had a much more limited range occurring mainly along rivers, swamps and other low damp areas where they were historically protected from fires. The thin smooth bark of younger trees is very susceptible to fire damage and even older trees can be killed in a hot fire. As fire was suppressed in our forests and landscapes, in the past century, Red Maples greatly expanded their range and are now one of the most widespread trees in the East, replacing oaks and other fire-adapted trees.

Young trees grow relatively quickly with ascending branches and dense oval to rounded crowns. They are usually considered a mid-sized tree reaching 40 – 70’ in height; however they can live for 200 years, reaching heights of over 120’ with a trunk diameter of 6’. The smooth light gray bark of youth becomes thick and scaly with age.

Easy to transplant, Red Maples are a common landscape tree because they are adaptable to a wide variety of soils in sun to part shade. They prefer slightly acidic, medium to moist soils but are tolerant of heavy clay soils, Black Walnuts, urban areas and pollution, and of course wet soils. While they struggle in hot dry sites or those with a pH above 7.0, they can be quite drought-tolerant once established. As you might guess from such a widespread tree, it is best to select one grown from seed produced in your region to be sure your tree is well adapted to your local climate.

With four seasons of interest, Red Maples make an excellent specimen or street tree or even a windbreak and with their natural affinity for damp to wet soils are a great choice for riparian buffers along stream or rivers where their spreading roots stabilize soil and prevent erosion. Those same spreading roots can present a problem if planted too close to a walkway or structure. They also are excellent in a rain garden or children’s or pollinator-wildlife garden. Doug Tallamy, the famed ecologist and author of Nature’s Best Hope, considers the Red Maple to be a “keystone” tree, meaning that it supports a diversity of wildlife—up to 280 species of butterfly and moth caterpillars, which themselves are critical food for young songbirds. Like Sugar Maples, the sap can be tapped and boiled down into a sweet syrup used to flavor foods, and I know from personal experience that Red Maples make splendid climbing trees.

Perhaps it is time to add some sweetness and color to your landscape. The adaptable Red Maple is a perfect candidate for a multitude of landscape uses and will become an “ecological keystone” in your own landscape, attracting and supporting a wide diversity of pollinators, butterflies and moths and songbirds.

To learn about more “keystone” plants to support biodiversity in your own garden, check out the Keystone Plant Finder at the National Wildlife Federation in collaboration with Doug Tallamy. Simply enter your zip code to generate a list of outstanding native plants for your immediate area.

The late winter color of the flowers and fall color of the leaves will light up your landscape while ensuring this keystone plant is contributing broadly to the food web.

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Red Maple is the Northern Neck Native Plant Society February 2025 Plant of the Month.