Red Maple
Our native maple for the damp spots. Red seeds and new growth put on a show when little else is changing color.
Acer rubrum
Our native maple, with real fall color, but it wants a wet spot and it is at its southern edge here.
Why it works here
Honest talk on this one: red maple is a true Florida native and it gives you actual fall color, red and orange and yellow, plus early red flowers that show up in the cool months. But Stuart sits right at the warm edge of where it is comfortable, and it really only thrives with steady moisture, like a pond edge, swale, or naturally damp low spot. Put it there and it is a lovely native. Put it in dry, sandy, alkaline ground and it will struggle. I plant it on purpose for wet sites, not as a general shade tree.
Care
Site it somewhere that stays moist and it is easy, that single decision matters more than anything else. Mulch heavily to hold moisture and keep the roots cool. Water through any dry stretch, this is not a tree you can neglect here. Feed only with compost, and watch the leaves: if they yellow between the veins, that is chlorosis, meaning the tree cannot pull enough iron from our alkaline soil, and the cure is improving the soil with compost and acidic mulch rather than any quick chemical fix.
Common problems
Chlorosis (yellowing leaves with green veins) on our alkaline sand. Response is cultural: build organic matter with compost and mulch, and choose a better site next time.
Drought stress and scorch. The fix is placement and water, it needs the damp spot.
Cottony maple scale and borers, which are cottony bumps on twigs and holes in the trunk. Borers mostly hit stressed trees, so the best defense is keeping the tree healthy and well watered, and hand removing or pruning out scale infested twigs.
Common questions
Will I really get fall color in Florida?
You will get some, and it can be quite pretty, though it is more subtle and later than a New England postcard. Leaves color and drop in winter, then new red growth comes early.
Can I plant it in a normal dry yard?
I would not, honestly. Without a wet site or regular irrigation it fights our heat and sandy soil. If you love maples but have dry ground, let me steer you to a tougher native instead.
How big will it actually get here?
Usually smaller than the up north numbers, since our conditions hold it back unless it has all the water it wants. Plan for a medium tree rather than a giant.
Interested in a red maple in your landscape?
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