Acer Species, Red Maple, Scarlet Maple

Acerrubrum

Family
Sapindaceae (sap-in-DAY-see-ee)
Genus
Acer (AY-ser)
Species
rubrum (ROO-brum)
Synonym
Acer coccineum
Acer rubrum f. viride
Acer rubrum var. viride
Acer sanguineum
Acer splendens
Sun Exposure
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage
Deciduous
Height
over 40 ft. (12 m)
Spacing
30-40 ft. (9-12 m)
Hardiness
USDA Zone 4a: to -34.4 °C (-30 °F)
USDA Zone 4b: to -31.6 °C (-25 °F)
USDA Zone 5a: to -28.8 °C (-20 °F)
USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 °C (-15 °F)
USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 °C (-10 °F)
USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 °C (-5 °F)
USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 °C (0 °F)
USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 °C (5 °F)
USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 °C (10 °F)
USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 °C (20 °F)
USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 °C (25 °F)
Danger
N/A
Bloom Color
Red
Bloom Time
Mid Spring
Other Details
Category
Trees
Water Requirements
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Foliage Color
Where to Grow
Bloom Characteristics
Bloom Size
Other details
Soil pH requirements
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information
Non-patented
Propagation Methods
From woody stem cuttings
From softwood cuttings
From semi-hardwood cuttings
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
By air layering
Seed Collecting
Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry
Seed does not store well; sow as soon as possible
Regional

This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:

Atmore, Alabama

Rancho Santa Margarita, California

Boca Raton, Florida

Daytona Beach, Florida

Dunnellon, Florida

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida(2 reports)

Kissimmee, Florida

Lake City, Florida

Lakeland, Florida

Melbourne, Florida

Miami, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Port Saint Lucie, Florida

Tampa, Florida

West Palm Beach, Florida

Augusta, Georgia

Cordele, Georgia

Hinesville, Georgia

Boise, Idaho

Hinsdale, Illinois

Indianapolis, Indiana

Kansas City, Kansas

Benton, Kentucky

Clermont, Kentucky

Georgetown, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

Smiths Grove, Kentucky

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Franklinton, Louisiana

Slaughter, Louisiana

Laurel, Maryland

Silver Spring, Maryland

Lawrence, Massachusetts

Sterling, Massachusetts

Alpena, Michigan

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Lucedale, Mississippi

Lincoln, Nebraska

Frenchtown, New Jersey

Jewett, New York

Highlands, North Carolina

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Bucyrus, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Dayton, Ohio

Lebanon, Ohio

Ada, Oklahoma

Greater Sudbury, Ontario

Blairsville, Pennsylvania

Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Converse, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Katy, Texas

Mc Kinney, Texas

Blacksburg, Virginia

Walkerton, Virginia

Colville, Washington

show all

Featured Videos

Gardener's Notes:

11
positives
2
neutrals
0
negative
Sort By:
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L
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | May 2017 | positive

I highly recommend this plant in its native range (Eastern USA) for its fall color and pretty leaves (In 9b I don't get the fall color us...Read More

R
Downingtown, PA | January 2014 | positive

It is a handsome and common tree. Lots of wild trees all over the place in southeast PA and the mid-Atlantic. It is planted a lot in nort...Read More

M
M
Sterling, MA | August 2012 | positive

Red Maples grow all over, here in Massachusetts. One of the most common native trees you can see. We have several of them growing along t...Read More

M
Sudbury , ON (Zone 4b) | April 2012 | positive

Fantastic little tree! Amazing colour, from the twigs, to the flowers, to the seeds, to the leaves. Cannot wait till mine grows tall! I...Read More

M
Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) | June 2010 | neutral

Red Maples can develop chlorosis (yellow leaves and stunted growth) due to a manganese deficiency, which in turn is due to soil which is ...Read More

C
Silver Spring, MD | September 2009 | positive

Often brittle and sometimes short-lived, and like most maples it throws hundreds of seedlings. That said, it's one of the more desirable ...Read More

W
Jacksonville, FL (Zone 8b) | May 2008 | positive

It grows wild here in north Florida. It is th 2nd plant on my spring watch some times blooming as early as Jan. Also some of the only f...Read More

N
Edmonton, AB (Zone 4a) | May 2008 | positive

This is a lovely large tree that grows well into zone3a. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and its slowly becoming a more popular tree...Read More

E
Atmore, AL (Zone 8b) | April 2005 | positive

Red Maples are only good when they have a central leader, so corrective pruning when young is a must. They often have shallow roots that ...Read More

B
Culpeper, VA (Zone 7a) | December 2004 | neutral

While this is definitely a lovely tree (I have several gorgeous specimens on my property here in VA), I do wish to inform those of you wh...Read More

T
Now in Orlando, FL (Zone 9b) | December 2004 | positive

This is probably the #1 most popular landscape tree! Where are all the comments and photographs???!!!

One of my all time ...Read More

M
M
Benton, KY (Zone 7a) | November 2004 | positive

A Maple that is primarily seen in the Midwest and Northern areas, although it can survive in the South also.

The trunk is ...Read More

R
R
Tampa, FL | June 2004 | positive

I have two huge Red Maples In my front yard that I have cared for since they were babies. Every year one the(shorter) maple has 1000's of...Read More

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