General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, acidic soils with good drainage.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Acer rubrum is a deciduous, native Missouri tree which will typically grow 40-60' tall with a rounded to oval crown. Grows faster than Norway and sugar maples, but slower than silver maple. In northern states, red maple usually occurs in wet bottomland, river flood plains and wet woods, but in Missouri it typically frequents drier, rocky upland areas. Sap of this tree can be used to make maple syrup that is inferior in quality to syrups made from the sugar maple. Leaves are shiny green above and pale green beneath, 3-5 lobed and 3-6" across. Species name of rubrum (meaning red) is everywhere in evidence: red flowers in dense clusters in late March to early April (before the leaves appear), red fruit (reddish two-winged samara), reddish stems and twigs, red buds, and, in the fall, orange-red foliage color. Quality of fall color on species plants can be quite variable from year to year. RED SUNSET is one of the best red maple cultivars available in commerce, with outstanding orange to red fall color (quality more reliable than species).