Red Maple

Red Maple, Acer rubrum, is a fast-growing deciduous shade tree native to eastern North America from Newfoundland south to Florida. Clusters of small red flowers open on bare branches in late winter, followed by red winged seeds and green leaves with three to five lobes that turn red, orange, or yellow in fall. Grow it in full sun to part shade in USDA zones 4 through 9, where landscape trees commonly reach 40 to 70 feet tall and 25 to 50 feet wide. It adapts to clay, sand, or loam and handles wet sites and extended flooding, but it prefers moist, acidic soil, is only moderately drought tolerant, and has low salt tolerance. Leaves can yellow with chlorosis on alkaline soils, and large surface roots can lift nearby paving. Wilted leaves are toxic to horses, so keep it away from pastures.