Acer rubrum L.

Red Maple

Large, open-branched tree to about 30 m or more tall. Leaves 6-10 cm long with 3-5 triangular, evenly toothed, short-pointed lobes, glossy above, waxy-blue below and soft-hairy on the veins; bright red in autumn. Flowers red, appearing before the leaves. Fruit mostly 1-2 cm long, narrowly spreading.

N America.

Twigs and leaf stalks bright red in the first year. Undersurface of leaves blue-white. Flowers appearing long before the leaves. Leaf teeth directed forwards to tips of lobes, i.e. serrate, not dentate.

VIC: Dandenongs (Hamer Arboretum; 'Pirianda').

Santamour & McArdle (1982).

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Aceraceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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Distribution map

Acer rubrum 'October Glory'

Fast growing upright tree with semi-persistent leaves turning crimson to dark orange in autumn. Int. by Princeton Nsy, New Jersey, usa, in 1961.

Acer rubrum 'Scanlon'

Plant almost columnar. Leaves pale green, turning a mix of orange, crimson and purple in autumn. Arose c.1956 in usa and int. c.1958.

kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Rosanae
order      Sapindales
family       Sapindaceae
genus        Acer L.