The red maple is also known as the scarlet maple. Botanically it is named Acer rubrum. It is a member of the Aceraceae family of plants and is native to the United States. It is a popular tree, found wild in many moist wetland areas.
Red Maple Description
Grow a red maple in full sun or partial shade in moist acidic or nearly neutral pH soil. It is cold and heat tolerant. Propagate by seeds or softwood cuttings. Seeds should be stratified for two to two and a half months at 41 degrees F.
Growing Guide
Growing up to 100 to 120 feet in the wild, cultivated it is more like 40 to 60 feet tall. Leaves are green with a red fall foliage and possibly green-yellow. Flowers are pink-red and in the early spring. Bark is silver-grey. It grows with a round compact crown.
Distribution of Acer rubrum
The red maple is spread throughout the United States in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, and West Virginia.
Warnings
The red maple has poisonous leaves and bark. Cattle are especially affected by this.
Trivia
The bark extract can be made into ink and dyes. Black and cinnamon-brown are typical colors of the dye and ink. It was first done by the Pioneers.
Wildlife Attracted
Deer, moose, squirrels, and birds browse the red maple. There are several moths and butterflies that are attracted by this tree. These include the Oval-based Prominent, the Rosy Maple Moth, the Retarded Dagger Moth, the Baltimore, Cecropia moth, and the Maple Looper.
Source: NPIN
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ACRU