A tree with 🌳︎ broadleaves arranged ╫ opposite, blade division=🍁︎ simple, 3-lobed (4+5 very small), leaf surface=smooth, teeth irregular size, not a shrub, twigs=red, branch tips do not curve upward. ⚘ ❀ Flowers are small clusters of red, and appear very early in growing season — often appears before leaves! Leaves and petiole are bright red in 🍃︎ autumn. Twigs are bright red in ❄ winter. Usually grows in moist areas.
Also called ♒︎ water maple and ♒︎ swamp maple, although do not confuse with sister-species
◼︎ 🍁︎ silver maple Acer saccharinum,
which is also sometimes called those.
Part of
🍁︎ maple genus Acer
in
soapberry family Sapindaceae
in
cashew / 🌰︎ chestnut / 🍊︎ citrus / 🍁︎ maple order Sapindales.
Native to 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Canada and USA, east of the 🗻︎ Rocky Mountains.
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48),
🗺 map (North America, Central America), 
🗺 today + with climate change (eastern 🇺🇸 USA).
🏛🌳︎ State tree of Rhode Island.
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Often planted as a ⛱ shade tree. Some are tapped to make great maple syrup (zhiiwaagamizigan in
Anishinaabemowin
) and maple sugar (ziinzibaakwad).
Acer hosts caterpillars of 285 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
Pollinator use and growing info
for this and other trees and plants.
This plant is known to be a host for (in areas where invasive)
🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF) Lycorma delicatula.
Considered one of the
soft maples,
although its 🪵 wood is nearly as hard as its
cousins.
Male trees score 🤧︎ highly allergenic (7-8 out of 10) on the OPALS™ Ogren Plant Allergy Scale. Female trees score least-allergenic (1 out of 10). But most trees have flowers of both genders.
Planting info (SW Michigan)