Tree of the Week: Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Maples are widely appreciated for their fall foliage. In the arboretum, you can compare the autumnal color of five different maple species. Variety of color is also to be found within a single species. Our tree of the week is a red maple (Acer rubrum) with bright yellow leaves. Compare the pictures below with older photos of the other red maples in the arboretum. You can find a red-leaved red maple here, and an orange-leaved red maple here. Below, we discuss only the yellow-leaved red maple.

The yellow-leaved tree pictured center is a red maple (Acer rubrum). Note the oval shape produced by the yellow leaves. Details concerning its history are not available in the arboretum catalogue. We simply know that in 2004, it was planted as a young tree, making it more than 15 years old. This species is a common weed that pops up in disturbed soil and flower pots, so more likely than not, it simply volunteered in a pot in the campus greenhouse and was later relocated to this spot.

This red maple grows in a sunny location on a slope near the intersection of two sidewalks. The southwest corner of Mickle Hall is pictured in the background.

The bright yellow leaves are particularly stunning against a blue sky.

Fall foliage of Acer rubrum

From the leaf litter, the leaves appear to be uniformly yellow with long, pink petioles. The 3-lobed leaves have serrate margins.

Petiole length and leaf size vary. In the photo above, the petiole measures 1¼ inches long, and the leaf measures 3 inches long.

Petiole, 1¾ inches long; Leaf, 3½ inches long

Petiole, 2¼ inches; Leaf, 3¾ inches

Underneath, leaves are cream colored.

Leaf margins are serrate.

The trunk shows two different types of bark. At eye level, we see smooth, light-gray bark.

Toward the base of the trunk, the rough, dark gray bark has shallow fissures.