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West Virginia Trees

Chapter 111: RED MAPLE
By A. B. Brooks
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Nature/Gardening/Animals

About This Book

A practical field guide to the native and introduced trees of West Virginia, providing keys based mainly on leaves and fruits, concise family and species descriptions, and detailed line drawings for about 101 native species. It organizes trees by botanical families, gives brief flower notes, a glossary of terms, and suggestions for identifying specimens; occasional introduced species and shrubs are noted. The bulletin emphasizes simplicity for non-specialists, offers measurements and habit descriptions for each species, and includes administrative prefatory material. Its aim is to aid lay readers and students in tree identification and to encourage local interest in forestry.

RED MAPLE

Acer rubrum, L.

Form.—Height 60-100 feet, diameter 1-3½ feet; trunk usually more or less inclined or twisted; crown rather narrow and rounded.

Leaves.—Opposite, simple, 3-4 inches long, about as broad, lobes 3-5, coarsely toothed, green and glabrous above, whitish beneath.

Flowers.—March-April; polygamo-monoecious, or dioecious; in few-flowered clusters on shoots of the previous year; petals linear-oblong, red or orange.

Fruit.—May-June; paired samaras, small, smooth, wings about 1 inch long on long, drooping pedicels.

Bark.—Thick, roughened by shaggy ridges, gray. The smooth bark of young trees and limbs of large trees are silvery gray.

Wood.—Heavy, medium soft, close-grained, light brown, with whitish sapwood.

Range.—Southern Canada to Florida and Texas.

Distribution in West Virginia.—Occurs in all parts of the State. Not common east of the Alleghanies.

Habitat.—Thrives best in swamps or on stream borders, but is found also on hillsides and ridges.

Notes.—The Red Maple is especially noticeable early in spring on account of the red flowers and fruits, and in autumn when the leaves turn bright scarlet. The wood is used for cheap furniture, turnery, and paper pulp. It cannot be recommended highly for forestry purposes.