Leaf guide › Maples
Red maple
Acer rubrum
Usually the first tree to flash scarlet, especially around swamps and wet meadows.
Updated
- Fall color
- RedOrangeYellow
- Turns
- Early
- Leaves
- Opposite (in pairs)
- Size
- 2–4 in. across
- Found in
- New England & New York, Great Lakes & North Woods, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest
How to recognize it
- Three main lobes, sometimes with two small extra lobes near the base.
- Sharp V-shaped notches between the lobes.
- Edges lined with many small, uneven teeth.
- Leaf stems, twigs, and buds are often red.
Easy to confuse with
Sugar maple
Rounded U-shaped notches and smooth edges with only a few big teeth.
Silver maple
Cuts between the lobes reach nearly to the center, and the underside is silvery white.
Worth knowing
Red maple is one of the most common trees in eastern North America, growing everywhere from swamps to dry ridges. Something on it is red in every season: buds in winter, flowers in spring, leaf stems in summer.
Common questions
What color does red maple turn in fall?
Red maple turns red, orange and yellow in fall. Usually the first tree to flash scarlet, especially around swamps and wet meadows.
When does red maple change color?
It’s one of the earlier trees to turn, often ahead of most of its neighbors.
How can you tell red maple from sugar maple?
Sugar maple: Rounded U-shaped notches and smooth edges with only a few big teeth. Red maple: Three main lobes, sometimes with two small extra lobes near the base.
Where does red maple grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in New England & New York, Great Lakes & North Woods, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest.
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