Scarlet maple – description, flowering period and general distribution in Kentucky. flowers on a branch closeup

Scarlet maple – description, flowering period and general distribution in Kentucky. green foliage

Scarlet maple – description, flowering period and general distribution in Kentucky. green branch

Scarlet maple – description, flowering period and general distribution in Kentucky. green leaves change color to red

Scarlet maple – description, flowering period and general distribution in Kentucky. green leaf turns red, close-up

Scarlet maple – description, flowering period and general distribution in Kentucky. plants covered with red leaves

Scarlet maple – description, flowering period and general distribution in Kentucky. trees in autumn

Common name:

Scarlet maple

Scientific name:

Acer rubrum.

Other common name(s):

Red maple, Scarlet maple.

Life form:

Tree.

Flowering time:

7 - 13 days.

Flowering period

in Kentucky for this plant is: February ↔ March.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
200 kilograms per ha

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Major

General distribution:

Red maple is one of the most widely distributed trees in eastern North America. Its range extends from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia west to southern Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois; south through Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and southern Texas; and east to southern Florida. It is conspicuously absent from the bottomland forests of the Corn Belt in the Prairie Peninsula of the Midwest, the coastal prairies of southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas, and the swamp prairie of the Florida everglades. It is cultivated in Hawaii.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 41 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

Red maple is a deciduous tree that grows 30 to 90 feet (9-28 m) tall and up to 4 feet (1.6 m) in diameter. The bark is smooth and gray but darkens and becomes furrowed in narrow ridges with age. Twigs are stout and shiny red to grayish brown.

The small, fragrant flowers are borne in slender-stalked, drooping, axillary clusters. The fruit is a paired, winged samara, approximately 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) long. Samaras are red, pink, or yellow.

Seasonal development:

Red maple is one of the first trees to flower in early spring. Specific flowering dates are largely dependent on weather conditions, and latitude and elevation. Flowers generally appear several weeks before vegetative buds. Bud break may be affected by soil factors and is typically delayed for 7 to 10 days on copper-, lead-, and zinc-mineralized sites. Fruit matures in spring before leaf development is complete.

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List of honey plants that may be blooming now in Kentucky

See the entire list