red maple
Acer rubrum L.
Red maple flowers early in spring, while its branches are still bare. Its seasonal displays extend from those small flower clusters to coloured winged fruits and, later, conspicuous autumn foliage. US Forest Service FEIS: red maple
Botanical name
Kew accepts Acer rubrum L. as a species. Kew POWO: Acer rubrum
Recognizing the plant
Small, fragrant flowers hang in slender-stalked clusters along the branches. Its paired, winged fruits, called samaras, may be red, pink or yellow and measure about 1.9 centimetres long. Young trunks have smooth grey bark that darkens and becomes furrowed with age. The tree commonly reaches about 9–28 metres in height. US Forest Service FEIS: red maple
Bloom window
Maryland and Nova Scotia, eastern North America
In Maryland, the US Forest Service records flowering in March and April; in Nova Scotia, flowering falls in late April or early May. These dates vary with weather, latitude and elevation. Flowers generally precede the opening of leaf buds by several weeks. The fruits mature during spring, before the leaves have finished developing. US Forest Service FEIS: red maple
Native range
Acer rubrum is native from eastern Canada into the central and eastern United States. It occupies both wet and dry sites, including swamp margins, floodplains and upland woodland. Kew POWO: Acer rubrumUS Forest Service FEIS: red maple
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.