red maple

Also known as Swamp Maple, Water Maple, Soft Maple, Scarlet Maple

Red maples dominate eastern North American forests with extraordinary adaptability, thriving in wet river swamps as comfortably as on dry rocky ridges. In early spring, clusters of tiny crimson flowers bloom on bare branches well before the leaves unfold, offering critical early nectar for emerging bees. By autumn, the three-to-five-lobed leaves transform into brilliant scarlet and ruby hues, creating some of the most iconic fall foliage displays on the continent.