red maple
Acer rubrum
USDA zones3 to 9
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles dry to wet soil
Size40 to 70 feet tall30 to 50 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Red, sometimes yellow
- Foliage color
- Green, turning red or yellow in fall
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a tree for shade, specimen planting, rain gardens, and winter interest. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and dry to wet soil of most types. Young trees have smooth, silvery gray bark that adds winter interest, and fall leaves range from brilliant red to yellow. Deer tend to pass it by. Its dense, fibrous roots often keep other plants from growing near the trunk.
Pairs well with Witch hazel, Wild ginger, and Sensitive fern.
Native range
Eastern and central North America.