Red maple

Landscape Uses:Firewood, Aggressive surface roots possible, Specimen, Street tree, Woodland garden. Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil[11, 98], though this species succeeds in wetter soils than most other members of the genus. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Dislikes chalk according to one report, whilst others say that it does less well on chalk, often becoming chlorotic as a result of iron deficiency. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade. Tolerates atmospheric pollution. A fast-growing tree for the first 20 - 30years of its life, it may live for 75 - 100 years. Red maple is a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[18, 20]. A variable species with several sub-species, there are also many named varieties that have been selected for their ornamental value. This species is often confused with A. saccharinum. Special Features:Attracts birds, North American native, Naturalizing, Wetlands plant, Attractive flowers or blooms. References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information Temperature Converter Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit: Celsius Fahrenheit: The PFAF Bookshop Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants , Edible Perennials , Edible Trees , Edible Shrubs , Woodland Gardening , and Temperate Food Forest Plants . Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical) . Shop Now

Edible Parts: Inner bark Leaves Sap Seed Edible Uses: Sweetener 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). It makes a good maple syrup although the yield is comparatively small. 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. Self-sown seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or dried for later use. Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot. The seed is very small, about 5mm long, and is produced in small clusters[K]. References More on Edible Uses

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the spring in a cold frame. It usually germinates immediately and by the end of summer has formed a small tree with several pairs of leaves. Stored seed quickly loses its viability. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions. Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus. Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.