Practical
Plants

Acer rubrum

Red Maple

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Acer genus in the family Aceraceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Aceraceae
Genus
Acer
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
30 m
Fertility
Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The sap contains sugar and this can be used as a drink or be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water[8][2][19][3]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. This species only yields about half the quantity obtained from the sugar maple (A. saccharum)[15]. It makes a good maple syrup although the yield is comparatively small[7]. It can be harvested in late winter, the flow is best on warm sunny days following a frost. The best sap production comes from cold-winter areas with continental climates. Inner bark - cooked[1][5]. It is dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[4]. Self-sown seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or dried for later use[11]. Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot[11]. The seed is very small, about 5mm long, and is produced in small clusters[K].

Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Sap
Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Sweetener

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bark has astringent properties and has been used as an application for sore eyes[15]. The inner bark was used according to one report[14]. An infusion of the bark has been used to treat cramps and dysentery[14].

Product or use
Antispasmodic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Ophthalmic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[6][9]. The boiled inner bark yields a purple colour[15][18][20]. Mixed with lead sulphate this produces a black dye which can also be used as an ink[15]. The dye is dark blue according to another report[21]. The wood is used to make basket splints[14]. This species can successfully establish itself in recently cleared areas and partially open woodlands[13]. It can therefore be used as a pioneer species to speed the regeneration of woodland[K]. Wood - not strong, close grained, hard, very heavy[17][20][12]. It weighs 38lb per cubic foot[12]. The grain of some old specimens is undulated, this gives beautiful effects of light and shade on polished surfaces[15]. The wood is commonly used for making furniture, turnery, pulp, etc[17][20][12].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Preservative
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Pioneer

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Quebec to Florida, west to Texas, Minnesota and Ontario.
Habitat
Usually found in swamps and uplands, it also occasionally grows on dry rocky hillsides and sand dunes[16][20].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the spring in a cold frame. It usually germinates immediately and by the end of summer has formed a small tree with several pairs of leaves[20]. Stored seed quickly loses its viability. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions. Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus. Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil[2][22], though this species succeeds in wetter soils than most other members of the genus. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes chalk according to one report[22], whilst others say that it does less well on chalk[10], often becoming chlorotic as a result of iron deficiency. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[10]. A fast-growing tree for the first 20 - 30years of its life, it may live for 75 - 100 years[13]. Red maple is a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[6][9]. A variable species with several sub-species[12], there are also many named varieties that have been selected for their ornamental value[10]. This species is often confused with A. saccharinum[2].

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-253-28925-4

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  4. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  6. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

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  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  9. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2

  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  11. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2

  12. Vines. R.A. Trees of North Texas University of Texas Press. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0292780206

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  13. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2

  14. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  15. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  16. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

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  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  18. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

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  19. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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  20. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  21. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

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  22. Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.

    ↩1↩2

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