Fifty Common Trees of New York 



57 



46. RED MAPLE 

 Swamp Maple, Soft Maple 



(Acer rubrum Linnaeus) 



Red maple derives its name from its brilliant autumnal foliage. While 

 common in swamps all over the State, it is also found abundant on moist 

 slopes. It is an extremely rapid-growing tree, furnishing a fairly 



BED MAPLE 



Leaf and fruit, one-third 

 size, one-half natural size 



natural 



strong, close-grained wood, extensively used for cheap furniture, in the 

 manufacture of baskets and crates, for mine props, railroad ties, and 

 fuel wood. 



Bark — on young trunks smooth, light gray in color, often resembling 

 beech ; with age becoming darker and roughened into long ridges, often 

 shaggy or scaly on surface; bark character extremely variable on differ- 

 ent trees in the same stand. 



Twigs — rather slender, bright or dark red in color, without odor when 

 cut or broken. 



Winter buds — blunt-pointed, short stalked, red in color; terminal bud 

 slightly larger than lateral buds; numerous large, plump flower buds 

 along the twig. 



Leaves — simple, opposite, from 3 to 4 inches long, fully as wide, usu- 

 ally 3-lobed; the clefts between lobes shallow as contrasted with deep 

 clefts of silver maple ; margins of leaf lobes coarsely serrate ; at ma- 

 turity leaves light green in color above, pale greenish white below. 



Fruit — maple keys, in clusters on long stalks, ripening in May or 

 early June. Seeds — joined more or less end on end. Wings — diverge 

 at wide angles. 



