{"product_id":"red-maple","title":"Red Maple","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAcer rubrum\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lawn and patio shade, street and boulevard plantings, rain gardens and low areas, park and campus settings, fall color focal points.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red flowers that color the bare canopy weeks before anything else leafs out, dependable scarlet fall color, an unusually wide tolerance from wet bottomland to average lawn soil, and moderate to fast growth that delivers usable shade within a decade.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun, Partial Sun\/Shade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deciduous Tree\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Upright, Rounded — oval canopy carried on a central leader.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Red\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Green, maturing to Red in fall\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e 40–70 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30–50 feet\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Early spring, before the leaves emerge\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate to Fast\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe first real color of spring and the last great color of fall, from the same tree.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRed Maple earns its name three times over. Small red flowers cover the bare branches in early spring, well before most trees show any sign of waking. The winged samaras that follow are reddish. Leaf stems stay red through summer, and in autumn the canopy turns clear scarlet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe tree itself is upright and oval, with a straight central leader and smooth gray bark that furrows with age. It grows at a moderate to fast pace, which means a young tree begins casting real shade within eight or ten years rather than a generation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is also the most adaptable of the eastern maples. In the wild it grows in swamps and on dry ridges alike, and in cultivation it handles periodic flooding, average lawn soil, and city conditions. That range from zone 3 to zone 9 is why it is one of the most widely planted shade trees in North America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEarly flowers are an important nectar and pollen source for bees emerging in late winter, and the seeds feed songbirds and small mammals through spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRed Maple Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun for the strongest fall color; partial shade is tolerated but produces a looser canopy and less intense color.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRed Maple accepts a wide range of soils and prefers moist, slightly acidic ground. It tolerates periodic flooding and heavy soil better than most shade trees. Highly alkaline soil is the main exception and can cause yellowing between the leaf veins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater deeply through the first two or three growing seasons. Established trees handle ordinary summer weather well, though the roots are shallow and appreciate a deep soak in extended drought. Keep a wide mulch ring in place, pulled back from the trunk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFeeding is optional in decent soil. Where growth is slow or foliage is pale, apply a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e in early spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePrune in late summer or early fall rather than late winter, since maples bleed heavily from cuts made as sap begins to run. Focus early pruning on establishing a single leader and well-spaced scaffold limbs. Roots are shallow and surface with age, so plan lawn edges and paths accordingly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Red Maple for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Red Maple ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Red Maple Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen mature, \u003cem\u003eAcer rubrum\u003c\/em\u003e typically reaches about 40–70 feet tall and 30–50 feet wide. Trees in open lawns tend toward the wider end of that range; those in woodland settings grow taller and narrower.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRed Maple\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSwamp Maple\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoft Maple\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow reliable is the fall color?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeedling-grown Red Maples vary. Most turn a strong red to red-orange, but some individuals lean more yellow, and color intensity shifts with the weather in a given autumn. Named cultivars are bred for consistency; a seedling tree trades a little predictability for genetic diversity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs Red Maple a native tree?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, and it has one of the broadest native ranges of any eastern tree, stretching from Newfoundland to Florida and west to Texas. Browse related species in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/native-plants\"\u003eNative Plants of North America\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan Red Maple handle wet soil?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBetter than most shade trees. Its alternate name, Swamp Maple, is well earned, and it copes with seasonally saturated ground and periodic flooding. That makes it a strong candidate for rain gardens and low corners of a property.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow does Red Maple differ from Sugar Maple?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRed Maple grows faster, tolerates wet ground and city conditions far better, and turns red earlier in the season. Sugar Maple is longer lived, casts denser shade, and produces the yellow-orange-red autumn spectrum associated with New England. Both are listed in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/trees\"\u003eTrees\u003c\/a\u003e collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"3 Gallon \/ Fall '26","offer_id":47491548053666,"sku":"APC-RedMap-3-1yr","price":89.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/RedMaple3.jpg?v=1785883027","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/red-maple","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}