Acer rubrum Red maple (Aceraceae) Deciduous tree

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Acer rubrum
Red maple
Deciduous tree
(1 Page of 5)

The Acer rubrum plant species is found in Eastern N. America - Quebec to Florida, west to Texas, Minnesota and Ontario. It is a member of the Aceraceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Red maple.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Acer rubrum
Common Name:  Red maple
Family:  Aceraceae
Author:  L.

Known Hazards:  None known

Mature Height:  30   Mature Width:

Habitat:  Usually found in swamps and uplands, it also occasionally grows on dry rocky hillsides and sand dunes[43, 82].

Edible Uses: The sap contains sugar and this can be used as a drink or be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water[2, 11, 74, 159]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. This species only yields about half the quantity obtained from the sugar maple (A.saccharum)[4]. It makes a good maple syrup although the yield is comparatively small[183]. It can be harvested in late winter, the flow is best on warm sunny days following a frost. The best sap production comes from cold-winter areas with continental climates. Inner bark - cooked[105, 177]. It is dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[161]. Self-sown seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or dried for later use[213]. Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot[213]. The seed is very small, about 5mm long, and is produced in small clusters[K].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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