Acer rubrum L.

Tree to 35 m; winter buds with 6–10 imbricate scales; young twigs red; lvs sharply but shallowly lobed, coarsely double-serrate, or with a few minor lobes, acute or short-acuminate, ± pubescent beneath when young; functionally dioecious; fls generally red, unisexual, short-pedicellate in fascicles from a cluster of lateral buds, opening much before the lvs; sep oblong, distinct, 1 mm, the pet a little narrower and longer, oblong-linear; ovary glabrous; mericarps mostly 2–4 cm; 2n=78, 91, 104, perhaps other nos. Swamps, alluvial soils and moist uplands, often as a successional tree; Nf. to se. Man., s. to Fla. and e. Tex., but missing from Io., most of Ill., and n. Mo. (Rufacer r.; R. drummondii; Acer carolinianum; A. stenocarpum) Morphologically, cytologically and ecologically variable, but indivisible.

It is a temperate plant. A native of north America. It requires deep fertile soils. It needs a sheltered position and is best in light shade. It is frost resistant but is damaged by drought. It can grow in acid soils. Often it grows in swamps and on moist soils. It suits hardiness zones 4-8. Arboretum Tasmania.

The sap of the tree is used as a source of sugar. The inner bark can be cooked, dried, ground into flour then used to thicken soups. The leaves of self sown seedlings can be eaten fresh. The seeds with the wings removed can be boiled and eaten. The sprouted seeds are eaten raw.

It is grown from ripened seed.