red mapleArticle Free Pass red maple, also called swamp maple,
or scarlet maple, (Acer rubrum), large, irregularly narrow tree
of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), cultivated for its shade
and spectacular autumn colour. It is one of the most common
trees in its native eastern North America. The red maple grows
to a height of 27 m (90 feet) or more on a straight trunk; the
crown bears upright or spreading branches that become reddish
brown with age. Young bark is smooth and gray, gradually
becoming ridged, scaly, and dark. Reddish colour characterizes
the flowers, which precede the leaves, the leaf stalks, the fall
foliage, and the winter buds. The leaf is three- to five-lobed,
paler beneath. The small paired, winged fruits are yellow to
red. Squirrels consume the seeds; deer and rabbits eat the young
shoots and leaves. The wood of the red maple is used in
furniture, flooring, and veneer. Syrup, in small amounts, can be
prepared from its sap. Because it tolerates compact, wet soils
and city pollution, the re