Acer rubrum
Common name
red maple
Family
Sapindaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
Conservation status
Not applicable
Brief description
Deciduous tree; shoots red to coppery-brown. Leaves silvery below; 3-5 lobed; petioles red above, yellow-green below.
Distribution
First record as adventive in NZ (near Fordell, Wanganui) made in Feb. 2015
Habitat
Hillside garden adjoining pasture with a planted adult tree
Flower colours
Green, Red/Pink
Life cycle
Winged seeds
Year naturalised
2015
Origin
Eastern and Central North America, Newfoundland to Texas
Etymology
acer: Thought to be derived from the Latin acer ‘hard’ or ‘sharp’, the wood once having been used for writing tablets
References and further reading
Mitchell, A. 1974. A field guide to the trees of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins