Red Maple
Latin name: Acer rubrum
Etymology: Acer means ‘sharp’ or ‘pointed’, while rubrum refers to the red flowers, fruits, leaf stalks and fall leaf color.
Family: Sapindaceae (Soapberries)
Origin: Eastern North America
Native habitats: Forests and forest edges, wetlands and wetland margins.
Of the three kinds of maples found in Herrontown Woods–red, sugar, and the nonnative Norway–red maples are by far the most common. Well-adapted to wet ground, they are easily identified in spring by their clouds of small red flowers that provide early nectar for bees.
Description: Red Maples grow to 100 feet high and 1-4 feet in diameter. Leaves are 3-5 lobed with relatively shallow notches between leaves and whitened and sometimes hairy beneath. They are opposite (paired along the stem), measure between 2-8 inches and can turn a brilliant red as well as yellow or orange in the fall. The young bark is smooth and gray while older bark gets rough and darker. Twigs and buds are reddish. Flowers are small and red or yellow appear in small clusters heads between March and May. Fruits are reddish, double-winged ‘keys’ and can be found between May and July.
Similar species: The notches between lobes on Red Maple are “V”-shaped, while the notches on Sugar and Norway maples are “U”-shaped. Sugar Maple has slender, pointed brown buds; Norway Maple has milky sap evident in broken leafstalk; Silver Maple has deeper leaf notches and is not found in Herrontown Woods.
Wildlife Value: Early spring flowers provide an important nectar source for pollinators. Red maple trees serve as a host plant for the larvae of the Rosy Maple Moth. All parts of the tree are eaten by numerous mammals, birds, and insects. Not readily browsed by deer, however, Red Maple can be over-abundant in forest regeneration.
Uses: Red Maple is a popular landscaping tree due to its brilliant fall foliage, attractive flowers and fruit. Also useful for lumber and firewood, red maple can sometimes develop an especially beautiful grain for furniture due to a fungus that causes “spalting.” The Red Maple was used by various native American tribes to make tools and crafts. The bark was sifted and made into bread or boiled with water to use as an eyewash. Reports suggest pioneers made ink and dyes from a bark extract.
