A Walk in the Woods: Red maple – a great tree for all occasions

Red maple trees may be one of the most easily identified tree species we have in Canada. However, it doesn’t get the respect and appreciation it deserves.

It is often mistaken for sugar maple or silver maple, or maybe the evil cousin, Norway maple.

Red maple is the star of the autumn show, which draws the busloads of tourists to enjoy our lovely red and orange fall colours. If you ask high school students what causes leaves to be green, many of them will know it is a fancy word – chlorophyll.

However, if you ask them what causes red maple leaves to turn red in the fall, they usually do not know. It is made possible by the chlorophyll breaking down and the production of a new pigment called anthocyanin. Most other leaves do not contain anthocyanin, except for a few notable ones, such as burning bush, Japanese maple, and staghorn sumac.

Red maple is a common species in Canadian forests. Compared to sugar maple, it has a huge range across a large section of North America, as far south as Texas and Florida.

It is a very versatile and tough tree species. Unlike sugar maples, which grow on a relatively narrow range of site conditions and climates, red maple may be found on a wide variety of conditions. For instance, here in Nova Scotia, they are commonly found surrounding wet, swampy areas but also on dry ridges and well-drained uplands, and anywhere in between.

The red maple leaf can be distinguished from other maples by looking closely at the leaf margins surrounding the three to five lobed leaf. The margins will contain sharp, irregular teeth, and where the lobes meet will be a V-shaped. A little hint is to remember “ragged red.”

In contrast, sugar maple leaves are generally larger, with smooth leaf margins and U-shaped notches between the lobes. A little hint is to remember that the U from the U-shaped notch is in the word sugar. The autumn leaf colours tend to vary from yellow to orangey-red.

When people think of maple syrup, it is generally thought to be produced from sugar maple trees. It is true that the majority of the deliciously sweet treat comes from sugar maple trees, however, red maples also produce great syrup.

Because sugar maple sap is about twice as sweet as that of red maples, it has always been the preferred source because it took less sap volume and work to convert it to syrup than red maple. However, with the arrival of more modern technology such as vacuum tubing, efficient evaporators, and reverse-osmosis systems, it concentrates the syrup much faster and cheaper.

With the impacts of climate change affecting us on an ongoing basis, forecasts indicate that the adaptable and resilient red maple will actually outperform many tree species as the climate continues to heat up and become wetter. Therefore, it may become increasingly common for maple syrup production and pancake suppers in future decades.

Red maple trees may grow to as much as 200 years old and up to 35 metres tall with a relatively narrow round, dense crown. It grows best on deep, fertile, moist, well-drained soils.

They are usually found mixed with other tree species such as white and yellow birch, poplar, alder, pin cherry, balsam fir, spruce, white pine, and eastern hemlock. It helps create biodiversity in the forest while annually producing a large amount of “helicopter” seeds for wildlife to enjoy and hide away for winter survival food.

Red maple wood is moderately heavy, hard, and strong. Its density is slightly lower but can be used in similar ways to sugar, otherwise known as rock maple. Examples include flooring, furniture, cabinetry, veneer, plywood, toys, cutting blocks, and wood crafts. It is a popular fuelwood species because of its density and heat capacity. Because the stems tend to be smaller diameter and less straight compared to sugar maple, it often is chosen as the maple wood to burn.

When forests are disturbed, red maples show their tenacity and resilience by coming back on cut or damaged stumps as coppice growth. This results in many young sprouts competing for sunlight, water, and nutrients to determine the next generation of dominant trees.

Red maple trees are invaluable to both our natural ecology, and we humans love them for many reasons too.

Did you know that many of the acorns you see while walking are not viable seed that can produce seedlings? Often, you will find that insects have beaten you to the acorn and enjoyed the seed core for lunch. The way to find out if a given oak acorn is likely viable as a seed is to drop it into a bucket of water. If it floats, it means that it has been chewed and useless for planting. However, if it sinks, you have a good chance to grow an oak tree.

Don Cameron is a registered professional forester.