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) of the Red Maple are the smallest of all native maples, about 5/8-3/4 inches long. The winged seeds ( samaras Samara: A type of dry fruit where one seed is surrounded by papery tissue that helps carry the seed away from the tree as the wind blows. In our area, Red Maples usually flower the first and second weeks in May. Flowering occurs on all branches in the upper portion of the crown. The flowers are small, with slender stalks, pink to red.
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Red Maple is one of the first trees to flower in the spring, generally several weeks before the leaves appear. Heron Marsh and Saint Regis Mountain from the overlook on the Barnum Brook Trail (). Trees of the Adirondacks: The small pinkish to red flowers of the Red Maple add a rosy glow to mountain landscapes in the early spring. A large, single-trunked maple tree growing near a marsh or other wetland is most likely to be a Red Maple. Red Maple trees are more tolerant of wet soil. Habitat is another clue distinguishing the Red Maple from the Sugar Maple.The Striped Maple is a small tree or large shrub, often divided into several branches from near the base, while the Mountain Maple is a shrubby tree. Both of these latter species are much smaller. The growth habit of the Red Maple is similar to that of the Sugar Maple, but contrasts with that of both the Striped Maple and the Mountain Maple.The bark of the Red Maple contrasts with that of the Striped Maple, which is marked with distinctive stripes.Red Maple leaves are more deeply lobed than those of the Striped Maple and Mountain Maple. Although Red Maple, Striped Maple, and Mountain Maple all have toothed leaf margins, the shape of Red Maple leaves is different from those of the Striped Maple and Mountain Maple.Also, the dips between the lobes of the Red Maple are pointy, forming a sharp "v," while those between the lobes of the Sugar Maple are u-shaped. The Sugar Maple, by contrast, has just a few pointed tips on each lobe. However, Red Maple leaves are coarsely toothed.
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Maple leaf guide crack#
Red Maples can become infected by "target canker." This is a fungus which causes the bark to crack in concentric circles, forming bullseye-shaped raised plates that look like a target. The plate-like strips remain fastened in the center, but can occasionally curl outward on one or both ends. On older and larger trees, the vertical cracks form multiple layers of long, vertical plates. It darkens, and eventually vertical cracks develop.
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As the tree ages, the texture and color of the bark changes. In color, it is usually light ash-gray, almost silver. This means that for Red Maple, as for many other trees, bark is not a particularly useful characteristic to rely on for distinguishing Red Maple from other trees, such as Sugar Maple, which have somewhat similar bark. Like many other trees, the bark of Red Maples changes as the tree matures. Red Maple ( Acer rubrum) on the Barnum Brook Trail (28 July 2012). Trees of the Adirondacks: The bark of the Red Maple is smooth and light gray when the tree is young, becoming furrowed and scaly at maturity.
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