Note: Don’t be confused by another tree also called “Red Maple” – Acer palmatum atropurpureum, the Japanese Red Maple – this is a much different tree with other growth features (and also well suited for many gardens in this region). Whether you view them in natural areas or in your own yard, we can all appreciate the Swamp Maples as they approach their peak of autumn color. I’ve noticed that in years like this with adequate moisture, Acer rubrum retains its summer foliage longer, even overlaping with its more celebrated cousin the Sugar Maple ( Acer saccharum). Some of those commonly available include ‘October Glory’, ‘Red Sunset’, ‘Brandywine’ and ‘Redpointe’, each with somewhat different features. Selected cultivars and grafted clones with known characteristics are generally offered for sale in garden centers. But growth and fall foliage color can vary widely among plants grown from seed. Red Maple seedlings are available for landscaping, especially from mail-order nurseries. And having the attractive seasonal features in your own yard is an added bonus. A row or group planting on the north or west of your property can slow winter winds and help reduce home heat loss in winter. Planted on the south side of your home it becomes large enough to provide cooling shade in summer, saving on air conditioning costs in winter when it is dormant and leafless, it allows winter sunlight to come through to help heat your home.

When properly sited in your yard, this fast growing tree can also function as an energy saver. The species grows vigorously and is so resilient that deer damage, insects and plant diseases rarely affect its ability to grow to maturity.īecause it is so reliable and trouble free, the Swamp or Red Maple, Acer rubrum, is one of the favorite landscape trees for this region. In the more open conditions of maintained landscapes it tends to branch lower and spread wider, becoming an impressive specimen.

When it grows naturally in forested areas and maple groves it forms a tall specimen, generally reaching 60 feet or more at maturity, taller than wide. The bark on the trunk and branches is an attractive grey color when young, becoming furrowed, fissured and regal with age. Even the twigs and new shoots exhibit colorful reddish tones as they emerge.Īll summer Acer rubrum’s leaves are intense green with silvery undersides that seem to sparkle with every breeze. This is soon followed by an equally-impressive display of red-to-bronze-colored seeds, often lasting until the tree is fully in leaf in May. In earliest spring, well before any new growth is visible, this species welcomes the warming days with stunning displays of red flowers that can rival its autumn coloration-that’s the pink-red “wash” we witness in the distant forest in late March and early April that signals spring has begun. It grows naturally in swampy areas, on dry hillsides, in both heavy and sandy soils-a truly adaptable tree, always the first of our native maples to color-up each year to usher-in the fall season.įew trees can compare with the multi-season appeal and versatility of Acer rubrum-it is called “Red Maple” for good reason. Red (or Swamp) Maple ( Acer rubrum) is native from Texas and Florida, northward to Canada’s Hudson Bay, westward to Minnesota it’s the State Tree of Rhode Island. For many New Englanders, autumn is a favorite season-and that’s no wonder, considering the spectacular spectacle offered by our region’s legendary fall color.

Red maple acer rubrum