of New York 



107 



RED MAPLE 



Acer tubtum, Linnaeus 



AT ALL SEASONS of the year the Red Maple, also called 

 Scarlet Maple, Soft Maple, Swamp Maple and Water 

 Maple, is a beautiful red. In autumn it is at its best. Then 

 it stands out among its associates as a flaming torch_pf scarlet 

 and crimson. 



The leaves are simple, op- 

 posite, about 3 inches long, 

 3 to 5-lobed, pale-green to 

 whitish on lower surface. 

 The clefts between lobes 

 are shallow and sharp-an- 

 gled. 



The flowers are red, ap- 

 pear early in spring before 

 the leaves, are arranged in 

 numerous small clusters. 



The fruit is a typical 

 two - winged maple key. 

 The wings are less than an 

 inch long, and not wide- 

 spreading from each other. 



RED MAPLE 

 One-fourth natural size. 



The bark on branches and young trunks is smooth and 

 gray; on older trunks is grayish-brown and shags off in 

 small thin plates. The twigs are smooth, red, marked with 

 light dots. The buds are round, red, covered with 6 to 8 

 exposed scales, clustered in groups along twigs. They are 

 similar to those of the Silver Maple. 



The wood is moderately hard, rather brittle, close-grained, 

 light-brown with wide and white sapwood. It is used in 

 the manufacture of paper, berry baskets, box-boards and 

 many small household articles. 



The Red Maple is one of the most widely distributed 

 trees of North America. This tree is common in nearly all 

 sections of New York. Wet to swamp situations, fertile 

 lowlands, and moist hillsides are its favorite home. 



The Red Maple has rare beauty, produces good wood and 

 grows to a height of 100 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. For 

 ornamental planting it is superior to the Silver Maple. 



