Bulbs Flower Basics Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens Flower Garden Garden Furniture Garden Gnomes Garden Seeds Garden Sheds Garden Statues Garden Tools & Supplies Gardening Basics Green & Organic Groundcovers & Vines Growing Annuals Growing Basil Growing Beans Growing Berries Growing Blueberries Growing Cactus Growing Corn Growing Cotton Growing Edibles Growing Flowers Growing Garlic Growing Grapes Growing Grass Growing Herbs Growing Jasmine Growing Mint Growing Mushrooms Orchids Growing Peanuts Growing Perennials Growing Plants Growing Rosemary Growing Roses Growing Strawberries Growing Sunflowers Growing Thyme Growing Tomatoes Growing Tulips Growing Vegetables Herb Basics Herb Garden Indoor Growing Landscaping Basics Landscaping Patios Landscaping Plants Landscaping Shrubs Landscaping Trees Landscaping Walks & Pathways Lawn Basics Lawn Maintenance Lawn Mowers Lawn Ornaments Lawn Planting Lawn Tools Outdoor Growing Overall Landscape Planning Pests, Weeds & Problems Plant Basics Rock Garden Rose Garden Shrubs Soil Specialty Gardens Trees Vegetable Garden Yard Maintenance

Red Maple Leaf Identification

How to Start Lemon Seeds Indoors - watch on youtube
Red Maple Leaf Identification

Red Maple Leaf Identification. Red maple, scientifically known as Acer rubrum, grows throughout most of eastern North America. The red maple is easily identified in the autumn when its leaves turn a brilliant red. At other times of the year, the red maple may be difficult to distinguish from other deciduous trees, but there are certain...

Red maple, scientifically known as Acer rubrum, grows throughout most of eastern North America. The red maple is easily identified in the autumn when its leaves turn a brilliant red. At other times of the year, the red maple may be difficult to distinguish from other deciduous trees, but there are certain characteristics that will positively identify it.
General Decription
Like most deciduous trees, the red maple is a broadleaf that is flat and thin. It is a simple leaf, meaning it develops only one leaf blade as opposed to the multiple blades seen on compound leaves. It grows to a height and width of approximately 2 1/2 inches.
Lobes
Red maple leaves have three lobes that are pointed at their tips. Two smaller lobes may be evident near the base on some red maple leaves. Sinuses, the spaces between lobes, are shallow on the red maple leaf. This differentiates it from others such as those of the silver maple, which also have pointed lobes but show deep sinuses.
Teeth
The small bumps or jagged points along the edge of a leaf are known as the teeth. Teeth may be large or small, rounded or pointed and may cover the entire length of a leaf or only portions of it. The red maple leaf has a few small, wavy teeth along most of its edge.
Color
Though the red maple leaf is easy to identify by its color in the autumn, it is a dull green throughout the growing season. The back side of red maple leaves are a very pale green or even white color. Though other maple tree leaves show similar colors during the growing season, the red maple leaf can be further identified by its smaller size compared with the leaves from other maple trees.
Stem
Another excellent method of identification is to examine the stem of the red maple leaf, also known as the stalk or petiole. This will often be red or at least have a reddish tint to it on the front side. The petriole on a red maple leaf is also distinguishable by its longer length, often growing as long as 2 inches.

Check out these related posts