Acer rubrum seed
LATIN NAME: Acer rubrum
COMMON NAME: Red Maple, Swamp Maple
The red maple is one of the most abundant and beautiful trees of eastern North America, and it is named for the red that runs through every season. In late winter and early spring, before the leaves appear, its bare branches are covered with dense clusters of small red flowers, one of the first signs of spring in the forest. The leaves are three-lobed, fresh green through summer, then turning brilliant shades of scarlet, orange and gold in autumn, a display that can be seen across whole hillsides. Even the winged seeds, the petioles and the twigs are reddish. It is a fast-growing, adaptable tree, and in autumn it is one of the glories of the American landscape.
The red maple belongs to the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, and it is native to a vast range across eastern North America, from Canada to Florida, where it grows in wetlands, floodplains and upland forests. It is one of the most adaptable of all maples, thriving in wet or dry soil, and it is one of the most widely planted trees in North America.
Positive & Encouraging Seed Germination Guide
Growing a red maple from seed is easy and gives good results. The winged seeds ripen in spring and early summer, and they need a period of cold, moist conditions to germinate, so sow them in pots of moist, free-draining compost in autumn and leave them outdoors through winter, or chill them in the fridge for a couple of months first. In spring, bring the pots to a bright spot and keep them moist. Germination usually begins within two to four weeks. Grow the young trees on in pots for a year or two before planting out in a sunny or partly shaded spot with reasonably moist soil. A red maple you have raised from seed will grow fast and reward you with brilliant autumn colour for generations.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The red maple has a rich and practical record in forestry and horticultural research. It is one of the most important hardwood trees of eastern North America, studied for its growth, its timber and its role in forest ecology, and it is valued for its adaptability, growing in both wet and dry conditions. In horticulture, it is one of the most widely planted shade and street trees in North America, and researchers have studied its cultivation, its autumn colour and the selection of improved cultivars, including varieties with reliable red foliage. The tree’s early spring flowers are also studied in ecological research on pollinators, since they provide an important early food source for bees. For a tree of such abundance and beauty, the red maple has an exceptionally rich record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the red maple is a keystone tree. Its early spring flowers feed bees and other pollinators when little else is in bloom, its seeds feed birds and small mammals, and its vast canopy provides food and shelter for countless species of wildlife.
Its economic value is substantial. The wood is used for furniture, flooring, veneer, pulp and a wide range of products, and the tree is one of the most widely planted shade and ornamental trees in North America, prized for its fast growth and its brilliant autumn colour. It is also a source of syrup, though less productive than the sugar maple. For a grower, the red maple is a fast-growing, high-value tree, and for a gardener it brings early spring flowers and one of the finest displays of autumn colour.
Acer rubrum (Red Maple, also known as Swamp, Water or Soft Maple), is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. The U.S. Forest service recognizes it as the most common variety of tree in America.The red maple ranges from southeastern Manitoba around the Lake of the Woods on the border with Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland, south to near Miami, Florida, and southwest to east Texas. Many of its features, especially its leaves, are quite variable in form. At maturity it often attains a height of around 15 m (49 ft). It is aptly named as its flowers, petioles, twigs and seeds are all red to varying degrees. Among these features, however, it is best known for its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn.
The Maple is fast growing, and is also easy to grow. It is very tolerant of many diverse growing conditions, & is a long-lived tree. They make a nice shade tree, and their ornamental fall colors really put on quite a show making them very popular.