Acer rubrum
Owner: Long Point Region Conservation Authority
Nominator: Dave Reid
Height: 33 m (108.3 ft)
Diameter: 203.82 cm (80.2 in)
Circumference: 640 cm (252 in)
Description
The Red Maple is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. It ranges from Lake of the Woods on the border between Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland and south to Miami, Florida and southwest to east Texas. Many of its features, especially its leaves are variable in form. It is a medium to large-sized tree reaching heights of 18-27 m, and occasionally growing taller than 35 m. In forests, the bark will remain branch-free for some distance up the tree. Trees that are grown in the open are shorter and develop a more rounded crown. The bark is a pale grey and smooth when the tree is young , and as it grows the bark becomes darker and cracks into slightly raised long plates. The leaves are arranged oppositely on the twig, and are typically 5-10 cm long and wide with 3-5 palmate lobes with a serrated margin. The leaf stalks are usually red and can be up to 10 cm long. The leaves turn a brilliant red in autumn. The twigs are reddish in colour and somewhat shiny with small lenticels. Red maple grows very well in a wide range of soil types and growing conditions. It is one of the first plants to flower in the spring. The leaves of the red maple are very toxic to horses. It is widely planted as an ornamental tree in parks and late gardens. It is a good choice of tree for urban landscapes due to its ability to withstand harsh conditions. Red maple is also used for the production of maple syrup, the sugar maple is more commonly used. It provides a medium quality firewood, possessing a lower heat energy than some other hardwoods, such as ash. (Source: Wikipedia )
Red Maple leaves in autumn
(Source: Wikipedia )