Red Maple

Red maple is a fast-growing deciduous tree that reaches 40 to 70 feet tall with a rounded to oval crown and ascending branches. You identify it by its small leaves, usually with three serrated lobes, and its distinctive red flowers that appear in late winter before leaves emerge, giving the tree a reddish haze at peak bloom. New leaves unfold in shades of red, the bark transitions from smooth and light gray on young trees to dark, rough, and furrowed with age, and fall color ranges from brilliant yellows to oranges and reds. It grows easily in full sun to partial shade across a wide range of soil types, though it naturally favors moist, slightly acidic conditions found in wetlands and uplands from eastern Canada to Texas.

In the Pacific Northwest landscape, red maple tolerates urban conditions and adapts to wet soils, though it prefers moist, slightly acidic sites and develops pronounced surface roots that can lift pavement over time. Watch for verticillium wilt, tar spots, powdery mildew, and leaf spot diseases; cottony maple scale, maple bladdergall mites, and various canker-causing organisms also appear on PNW records. Cultivars like 'October Glory,' 'Red Sunset,' and 'Redpointe' are available in regional nurseries and offer refined fall color and branching habit. As a pre-leaf bloomer and one of the first trees to color in autumn, red maple naturalizes in riparian areas and supports birds with both early nectar and seeds.