Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Quick Facts

• Type: tree
• Size: 40-60 ft tall
• Sun: full
• Water: high
• Soil: Moist soils; tolerates flooding
• USDA zones: 8-10

Brilliant red fall color and some of the earliest spring flowers for hungry bees.

Seek Florida-strain nursery stock – northern red maples sulk in our heat and humidity.

In the Landscape

Florida's best maple for fall color — reliably turns red, orange, or gold even in warm winters. A graceful medium shade tree for moist to average yards. Avoid planting in the hottest, driest sand.

Care & Propagation

Plant in fall, 20-30 feet from structures. Likes consistent moisture; mulch well and water through dry spells for the first two years. Surface roots can be aggressive near pavement — give it lawn-free space.

Seeds need 2-3 months of cold stratification; sow in fall or stratify in the fridge. Germinates readily in moist soil.

Wildlife Value

One of the earliest pollen sources for bees in late winter. Seeds (samaras) feed squirrels and finches; the tree hosts caterpillars that feed nesting birds, and cavities shelter owls and woodpeckers.

🌱 Fun fact: Red maple is one of the most widespread trees in eastern North America — it grows from Florida to Canada, and its seeds can sprout in a sidewalk crack or a swamp with equal enthusiasm.

← Browse all Florida native plants

🌴 In Florida

Seek Florida-strain nursery stock – northern red maples sulk in our heat and humidity.

🌿 Keep exploring

More Florida natives worth meeting:

• Alachua bully (Sideroxylon alachuense)
• American Elm (Ulmus americana)
• American Holly (Ilex opaca)