Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:06 AM
Common Name: Red Maple, Scarlet Maple, Soft Wood Maple
Latin Name: Acer rubrum
Family: Aceraceae
Size: Similar to the other maples, rounded shaped, with a decurrent structure. Approximately up to 75 ft in optimal growing conditions.
Trunk and Wood: The wood is great for firewood. It is very dense. ( heaviest of the maples ) The wood is straight. The wood is a dark grey on the outside.
Branches: The branches grow upwards. The branches are strong and arent normally damaged in winter storms.
Leaves: The leaves are opposite which means they grow opposite another leaf. The leaves turn red in the fall and are in a simple shape. The leaf stem is red which gives the tree a nice look.
Description: The Red Maple is a beautiful tree. It is very strong and leaves a powerful view in a residential area. It has been known to cross breed with the Silver Maple which makes a Freeman Maple. The Red Maple prunes well.