Leaves: Opposite, simple; blades up to 6" long, nearly as broad, palmately 3- to 5-lobed, the edges of the leaves sharply toothed to nearly toothless, pale green and smooth on the upper surface, white or gray and either smooth or hairy on the lower surface; leafstalks smooth or finely hairy, up to 4" long.
Flower: Staminate and pistillate borne separately, but sometimes on the same tree, in dense clusters, bright red or yellow, opening in February and March before the leaves begin to unfold.
Fruit: Borne in pairs, composed of an erect wing with a seed at the base, red or yellow, up to 1" long.
Twig: Slender, mostly smooth, more or less reddish, usually with pale lenticels; leaf scars opposite, U-shaped, with 3-7 bundle traces.
Bark: Gray and smooth when young, becoming darker and scaly.
Form: Medium tree up to 70' tall; trunk diameter up to 3 feet; crown oval or rounded.
Habitat: Swamps, low woods, upland slopes, bluff tops.
Range: Newfoundland across to Ontario, south to eastern Texas, east to Florida.
Location: On the Bunker Hill High School campus, next to Meissner Street, behind the dugout.
Latitude - 39o02.43N
Longitude - 089o57.63W
Red maple is a handsome shade tree displaying red in different seasons. Pioneers made ink and cinnamon-brown and black dyes from a bark extract.
© Community Unit School District #8, Bunker Hill
504 E. Warren, Bunker Hill, IL 62014
References:
Little, Elbert L. Field Guide to Trees: Eastern Region. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf Inc., 1980.
Mohlenbrock, Robert H. Forest Trees of Illinois. Springfield, IL: 1992