Introduction

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is one of the Long Point Basin’s most widespread and ecologically important tree species. Red Maples are named for their autumn foliage, which is typically a bright crimson, and their spring flowers, which are also red. Red Maple sap can be boiled into maple syrup, but the tapping season is much shorter in Red Maple due to the tree’s earlier flowering time – sometimes as early as February in warm years.  It is one of four species of native maples in the Long Point Basin – the other three are Black Maple (Acer nigrum), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), and Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum). Considering leaf arrangement on the branch, these maple trees have simple, opposite leaves.

Description and habitat

In the summer months, Red Maple is readily identified by its leaves, which are 5-15 cm long. Each leaf have 3-5 lobes separated by  V-shaped sinuses. Red Maple is distinguished from Silver Maple by the size of the sinuses – Red Maple only has shallowly divided lobes, whereas lobes are deeply divided in Silver Maple. The leaf margins are serrated in Red Maple, unlike Sugar Maple or Black Maple, both which only has a few large teeth. The twigs and buds appear reddish, especially in winter. Red Maple bark is grey, comprised of vertical, scaly ridges. The fruit ripens in June, and is borne on a winged seed, called a samara or “maple key”, with two seeds each. Each fruit measures 1.5-2.5 cm long – smaller than Sugar Maple.

Red Maple is one of eastern North America’s most abundant and widely distributed tree species. It is equally at home in the perihumid, subtropical forests of Florida and the snow-prone, northern woodlands surrounding Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Red Maples grow eastward to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, and west to Texas. Throughout its distribution, Red Maple is most frequently found in mixed deciduous forests with other hardwood species. It is found at highest abundances in forests 0major component in both the canopy and understory. Red Maple is moisture tolerant; thus, it is also observed in swamps and riparian forests. In swamps, it can be replaced by the closely related Silver Maple. It is also tolerant of dry conditions, observed as an uncommon tree in oak woodland-savannas. However, Red Maple can be a problematic species when conservation management goals are to maintain fire-tolerant, rare vegetation communities. This is because Red Maple is a mesophyte – it naturally prefers moist conditions, and within its own shade, Red Maple will transform the forest microclimate to become cooler and humid, promoting the regeneration of more mesophytes. In the absence of disturbance, Red Maple and other mesophytes can outcompete fire-tolerant vegetation, leading to local extinction of species dependent on the latter community.

Tree species that commonly grow alongside Red Maple include Red Oak (Quercus rubra), White Oak (Quercus alba), Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata), Basswood (Tilia americana), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), White Ash (Fraxinus americana), Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), White Pine (Pinus strobus). In swamps, it is commonly observed with White Elm (Ulmus americana), Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra). The understory usually consists of a diverse set of ferns, wildflowers, and shrubs, though exact composition varies based on ecosystem type.

Wildlife importance

The flowers of Red Maple are a critical source of nectar for many insects, as other food resources are very scarce during late winter and early spring. The seeds are commonly consumed by small mammals and birds, especially Chipmunks (Tamias striatus). Natural cavities sometimes form in mature trees, providing shelter and nesting habitat to a wide range of wildlife species. Red Maple is associated with dozens of Lepidopteran species, including the Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda), Dagger Moth (Acronicta retardata), Orange-humped Mapleworm (Symmerista leucitys), Maple Looper Moth (Parallelia bistriaris), Lesser Maple Spanworm (Macaria pustularia), Maple Tip Moth (Proteoteras aesculana) and Maple Leafcutter (Paraclemensia acerifoliella).

Fun facts

• Red Maples are known for a relatively fast growth rate compared to many other tree species, making them a popular tree species for landscaping and reforestation efforts
• Red Maple has softer wood compared to Sugar Maple,  giving the former it’s other common name – “Soft Maple”, while Sugar Maple is also known as “Hard Maple”
• While Red Maple foliage usually turns crimson in autumn, it can also turn a bright orange or golden yellow
• Red maples are generally considered dioecious – male flowers and female flowers are usually borne on separate trees, though there are some hermaphroditic trees.
• This tree species is widely adaptable to different habitats – Red Maple can grow in both open meadows as a pioneer species, and in the shaded forest understory

 

Written by Matthew Palarchio, HBSc in Environmental Sciences, Western University.

Photos provided by Matthew Palarchio

 

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