One of our most common and familiar trees throughout North Carolina, found in a wide variety of habitats. In wetlands, var. trilobum is more common and var. drummondii is also possible.

Red Maple blooms in late winter or very early spring, before leaf-out. In central North Carolina, they start blooming as early as the end of February, the first tree to bring color to the winter landscape.

The tiny staminate (male) flowers are pale yellowish-red with excerted stamens. This tree is unusually late in blooming, a couple of weeks after the peak in the area.

Chapel Hill, NC 3/11/06.

The male flowers are sweetly fragrant.

Chapel Hill, NC 3/11/06.

Warm winters may cause Red Maples to start blooming as early as mid-January.

Durham, NC 1/15/07.

The pistillate (female) flowers are red.

Orange Co., NC 3/9/10.

Orange Co., NC 3/9/10.

Orange Co., NC 3/9/10.

Carroll Co., VA 4/17/04.

The samaras are usually a brilliant red when they're young, turning tan when ripe.

Carroll Co., VA 4/17/04.

Carroll Co., VA 4/11/10.

The samaras are sometimes greenish.

Orange Co., NC 4/12/08.

Orange Co., NC 4/12/08.

Orange Co., NC 4/4/09.

Fall foliage is brilliant, ranging from yellow to scarlet.

Carroll Co., VA 10/26/08.

Bark on small to medium-sized trees is usually smooth.

Bark of a medium-sized tree, covered with several species of lichen.

Carroll Co., VA 3/18/06.

Bark of a medium-sized tree, beginning to crack.

Carroll Co., VA 3/18/06.

Bark on larger trees breaks into flaky plates.

Carroll Co., VA 3/18/06.