Red Maple care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Red Maple (Acer rubrum) wants full sun and a drink about every 10 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9. It is toxic to pets — worth keeping out of reach.
| scientific name | Acer rubrum |
|---|---|
| family | Sapindaceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 10 |
| min zone | 3 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | true |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Red Maple?
Water deeply during dry spells, especially when young.
Is Red Maple toxic?
Generally safe around cats and dogs, but wilted red maple leaves are highly toxic to horses.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: medium. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: yes. USDA records its toxicity as slight.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is medium. Its moisture use is high. Its drought tolerance is medium. It wants at least about 25 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 80 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 4.7. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.3. Its fertility requirement is medium. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. Its tolerance of waterlogging is medium. It needs at least 80 frost-free days. Its tolerance of chalky soil is high. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -47°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is rapid. Its lifespan is short. It puts on most of its growth in spring and summer. It spreads by seed at a moderate rate. It resprouts after damage: yes. Coppices: yes. Its tolerance of hedging is low. At maturity it reaches about 68.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 35 feet. Its roots go down at least 30 inches. Its shape is rounded. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in early spring. The flowers are red. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is medium. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: yes. The fruit or seed is red. Fruit begins in spring. Fruit finishes by spring. It fruits high. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Seedling vigour is medium. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: USDA PLANTS Database; US Cooperative Extension horticulture publications · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02