Red maple tree (Acer rubrum) varieties have distinctive palmate-shaped, green foliage that turns brilliant shades of red in fall. Many of its features, especially its leaves, are quite va… Like all maples, the leaves, buds and twigs of all four are attached in pairs opposite each other along the branches. One either taps red maple or they don't sugar. Terry has written articles and publications for a wide range of markets and subject matters, including Medicine & Health, Eli Financial, Dartnell Publications and Eli Journals. The red maple grows 50 to 90 feet tall and 25 to 45 feet wide. As maples begin their growth, chemical changes occur in the sap which make it unsuitable for syrup production. Study the bark to identify the red maple tree. Like sugar and black maple, red maple is shade tolerant and is found in both even-aged and uneven-aged forests. Stem Another excellent method of identification is to examine the stem of the red maple … Occasionally, this fungus will also appear as red balls on the bark of the maple tree. Norway Maple This type of maple tree originally breeds from Europe. This species grows 30 to 90 feet tall and up to 4 feet in diameter. Crimson King is a cultivar of the Norway Maple, Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’. Mature leaves have a whitish appearingunderside. Silver maple is a rapidly growing maple found throughout much of the eastern United States and extreme southeastern Canada, where it is often tapped (sometimes heavily) in a particular location (Figure 3.9). Like sugar and black maple, red maple is shade tolerant and is found in both even-aged and uneven-aged forests. However, for sugaring, red maple does have three important weaknesses. It can also grow in rocky landscapes. One of the few exceptions is European larch which loses its needles in winter. Though other maple tree leaves show similar colors during the growing season, the red maple leaf can be further identified by its smaller size compared with the leaves from other maple trees. Twigs are reddish and have rounded, oblong, vegetative buds. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Maple sugar, red maple have typically 5 lobes and Japanese maple between 5 to 7 lobes. There are thirteen native maple species in North America (Table 3-1). In winter, buds are easily distinguished. While the exact sap sugar content of a tree will vary depending on many factors including genetics, site and weather, sugar and black maples generally average between 2.0 and 2.5 percent sap sugar content. In scientific classification of Red Maple Tree, Family is … The black maple is a large, deciduous tree 60 to 80 ft in height with a dense, rounded crown and a straight trunk up to 4 ft in diameter. Slender, shiny, usually reddish in color; terminal buds. Sugar and black maple are very similar species and unquestionably the most preferred species for producing maple products, primarily because of their high sugar content. Maple trees have pointed lobes, whereas white oak tree leaves have a rounded lobe shape. Description. Silver maple is among the fastest growing hardwood species commonly planted in eastern North America, certainly the fastest growing maple. Although it develops best on moderately well-drained to well-drained, moist soils, it commonly grows in conditions ranging from dry ridges to swamps. Older trees developing furrows and ultimately long, irregular, thick vertical plates that appear to peal from the trunk in a vertical direction. Red maple or Acer rubrum. Mature trees commonly average between 20 and 30 inches in diameter and 60 and 90 feet tall. Third, like red maple, the evaporation of sap from some silver maples produces an excessive amount of sugar sand. Red Maple Tree Varieties. Black maple is more likely to be found along moist river bottoms. Sugar maple occurs naturally throughout most of the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada (Figure 3.6). 3-5 inches wide; 5lobed (rarely 3-lobed); bright green upper surface and a paler green lower surface; leaf margin without fine teeth (compare with red and silver maple). — Beta Version, getting better every day. Leaves with a serrated edge or with tooth-like shapes around the margins are called toothed leaves. Valsa canker This disease of maple trunks will normally affect only young trees or small branches. Like other maples, the branches of Red Maples are opposite, meaning that the branches are directly across, or opposite, each from other. When compared to sugar, black and red maple, silver maple is a distinctly fourth choice for sugaring for several reasons. 130-150 years. Many homeowners choose to plant a red maple as an ornamental tree because it’s easy to grow. Young trees up to 4-8 inches with a smooth light gray bark, developing into gray or black ridges and ultimately narrow scaly plates. Plant red maple in full sun or partial shade. The cankers of this fungus will look like small shallow depressions on the bark with warts in the center of ea… The bark is smooth and light gray on young- and intermediate-aged stems, while mature bark is dark gray and rough. Black maple, on the other hand, occupies a much smaller natural range (Figure 3.7). Depending on the species of tree, the toothed edges can be so fine that you have to look close to notice them. One of the most common hardwood tree species in North America, the red maple (Acer rubrum) is a favorite landscape tree due to its brilliant reddish-orange foliage in autumn. All have leaves of similar shape: a single leaf blade with the characteristic maple shape, 3-5 lobes radiating out like fingers from the palm of a hand (palmately lobed) with notches (called sinuses) between the lobes. They have broader leaves than that of a red maple tree stretching to about 4-7 inches and have a total of five lobes. Other things being equal, higher sap sugar content translates to lower costs of production and greater profits. The red maple occupies one of the largest eastern north-south ranges in North America—from Canada to the tip of Florida. Identify the red maple tree by its leaves, which are 2 to 6 inches wide with three to five shallow lobes. In other areas, red maple may be tapped along with sugar and black maples. The \"Embers\" and \"Flame\" varieties have especially vibrant fall colors in both leaves and fruit. Growing at a moderate rate, these varieties of maple trees are a sturdy and reliable shade tree. Look at the twigs to spot red maple trees. Red maple trees can grow to be 90 feet tall. Also, the silver maple's twigs have a foul odor when crushed. Winter buds, clusters of small winter spring flowers, leaf stems, twigs, and winged summer fruits are all reddish colored. On good sites with little competition from other trees, silver maple diameter growth may approach 1/2 inch per year (rates as high as 1 inch per year have been recorded). Sugar and black maple have the highest sap sugar content of any of the native maples. Smaller in height and width, Crimson King grows to about 10 metres and is a narrower and more upright in shape, (hence its name) making it a good choice for a smaller garden. Its rapid growth and ability to thrive on a wide variety of sites have resulted in its widespread planting as ornamental and street trees which are often tapped as part of a sugaring operation. The Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is a medium to large deciduous tree that flourishes in a variety of habitats in the Adirondack Mountains.Its common name reflects the fact that its flowers, fruits, leaf stalks, and autumn colors are red or reddish. Because sugar and black maple resume growth later than red or silver maple, sap may be collected later in the spring. The most abundant tree species in North America, and a habitat generalist, native to a wide range across the eastern part of the continent. The commercial production of maple products in North America occurs primarily in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada (Figure 3.1). They can grow as high as 50 feet. The sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum) grows abundantly in the northeastern part of North America: the northeastern United States (including as far south as Tennessee) and the southeastern portion of Canada.Sugar maples produce strong timber and yield maple syrup, and both commodities contribute considerably to the economy of the region. Toothed leaves. From the perspective of producing maple syrup, red maple's most attractive characteristic is its ability to thrive on a wide variety of site conditions. Identify the red maple tree by its leaves, which are 2 to 6 inches wide with three to five shallow lobes. The red maple tree has a slightly pyramidal shape and ascending branches when it’s young but develops a more rounded canopy as it matures. The leaf edges have small, sharp teeth. Leaf colors ranges from light green to almost white in color. The two most common maples are the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and the red maple (Acer rubrum).Other popular varieties of maple trees for gardens are the Amur Maple (Acer ginnala), Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), and the Hedge Maple tree (Acer campestre).The most famous product from maple trees is the sweet maple … The plant flowers in mid-spring. It changes its usual color to bright orange or red come autumn. Similar to sugar maple with, perhaps, a slightly larger seed. Under natural conditions, silver maple is primarily a bottomland and floodplain species, where it may occur in pure stands but is more commonly found associated with other bottom species such as American elm, sweetgum, pin oak, swamp white oak, eastern cottonwood, sycamore, and/or green ash. The 3 most popular type of maple trees are Maple Sugar, Red maple and Japanese Maple. Sugar sand can cause several problems during the production process. If the tree is mature and the bark is still smooth, the tree may be a hornbeam, ivy-leafed, Manchurian, Amur or mountain maple. Red maple is commonly tapped in certain geographic areas, particularly in the southern and western portions of the commercial maple range. Secondly, red maple begins growth in the spring before sugar and black maples, resulting in a shorter collecting season. Canyon maple is a medium-sized, slow-growing tree that can reach a height of 30 to 40 feet. Reds Maple leaves are simpleSimple Leaf: A leaf with a single undivided blade, as opposed to a compound leaf, which is one that is divided to the midrib, with distinct, expanded portions called leaflets., meaning … Silvery gray on young trees breaking into long thin scaly plates that give the trunks of older trees a very shaggy appearance. In some areas it can be invasive, so check first with your local extension office before planting. In some areas of the commercial maple range, red maple is the only maple present on many sites. Its use as an ornamental and street tree, at least in urban areas, has been discontinued in recent years because the wood of silver maple is very brittle and often breaks in severe wind, snow or ice storms. Sarah Terry brings over 10 years of experience writing novels, business-to-business newsletters and a plethora of how-to articles. The Amur maple is one of the smaller trees in the Acer genus. Winged seed approximately 1" long. It is most easily identified by the opposite paired arrangement of its leaves and branches and its 3lobed leaf with coarse teeth. You’ll find red maple trees growing mainly in eastern North America, in a wide range of soil types but thriving in acidic soils. One of the most common hardwood tree species in North America, the red maple (Acer rubrum) is a favorite landscape tree due to its brilliant reddish-orange foliage in autumn. Similar to sugar maple but usually 3-lobed (sometimes five); often appears to be drooping; often with a thicker leaf and lear stem (petiole) than sugar maple; usually with two winglike or leaflike growths at the base of the petiole (stipules). Distinguishing between them may be more of an academic exercise than one useful in sugar bush management because (1) they are essentially identical in quality as sugar trees, and (2) they often hybridize producing trees with a range of characteristics, making it difficult to clearly distinguish between them. Red Maple Tree Identification. Silver maple's growth rate often responds dramatically to thinning or release cutting. They should not be confused with the desirable maple species when performing management practices such as thinning or release cuts. The bark on young red maples is smooth and light gray, while older red maples have darker, rougher bark that peels off in scaly plates or flakes. Trees of North Carolina A Free, On-Line Plant Identification tool Featuring native and naturalized trees of North Carolina. Plantations of sugar maple have also been established with the intent of developing efficient, productive sugar bushes. These four species share several characteristics in common. The red maple tree has a slightly pyramidal shape and ascending branches when it’s young but develops a more rounded canopy as it matures. Includes images of bark, twigs, leaves, reproductive organs as well as distribution maps. Also, all four produce a fruit called a samara (or double samara), which is a pair of connected, winged seeds. They are mainly confused due to being common and often occurring in the same habibat, especially around humans. Like the red maple, silver maple is a relatively short-lived tree when compared to the sugar or black maple, living perhaps. Click on “identify” and then select the image that looks most like the plant you are trying to identify. In addition, when the sap of some red maples is processed, an excessive amount of sugar sand is produced. The leaves are pale green and whitish on the undersides, turning bright red or orange in autumn. Striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum) and mountain maple (Acer spicatum) are two other native maples that are found growing within the commercial maple range (Figures 3.10 and 3.11). Sugar sand or niter is the salt that precipitates during the evaporation process. These cankers can become slimy after rain or dew. Looking at the leaf and bark will usually give you a good indication of at least part of the parent stock, from which you can consult other resources for more precise plant identification . Identifying a tree as a sugar or black maple (Table 3.2, Figure 3.2 & 3.3) is easily done from the leaves by observing 5-lobed leaves, the paired opposite attachment of the leaves along the stem and the lack of teeth along the leaf margin; from the bark of older trees by observing the long plates that remain attached on one side; from the twigs by observing the opposite arrangement of buds and the relatively long, pointed, brownish terminal bud; and from the seed by observing its horseshoe shape and size. The sap of Norway maple is not commonly used to produce maple syrup. The red maple is usually a medium-sized tree with a moderate growth rate. 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 Florida, and southwest to eastern Texas. Genetic research on sugar maple suggests that the sap sugar content of planted seedlings can be increased by controlled breeding. Once established, it will have some drought resistance. This is the geographic area of greatest abundance of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and black maple (Acer nigrum), the two most preferred and most commonly tapped maple species. One exotic maple, Norway maple (Acer platanoides), is commonly planted as an ornamental and street tree and will attain tapable size. Compared to sugar and black maple, red maple is a relatively short-lived tree, rarely living longer than 150 years. 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