Red maple
Acer rubrum
Red flowers in March feed the first bees; red leaves in October feed your eyes.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 9
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 50 ft tall, 40 ft wide
From: E. North America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: wildlife, butterfly and moth caterpillars, pollinators.
Native to: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Eastern Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 9.
The story
Red maple is the most common tree in the eastern forest, at home from swamps to dry ridges. It flowers red in March before almost anything else, which makes it the breakfast table for the year's first bees.
Planting
Sun or part shade, and almost any soil that is not alkaline. It is easy to transplant.
Growing
Water in drought. Shallow roots mean mulch is better than lawn underneath.
Harvest and use
Early nectar and pollen, winged seeds for birds and chipmunks in May, and scarlet leaves in October. It can be tapped for syrup; the sap is thinner than sugar maple's.
What to watch for
Surface roots lift paving. Yellow leaves in alkaline soil.
See if Red maple fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home