FAMILY: ACERACEAE

ALTERNATE COMMON NAME:

LEAVES: opposite, simple, deciduous; densely tomentose below; 3-5 lobes, V-shaped sinuses, red petiole

FLOWER: dioecious, red, pistillate flowers on drooping racemes, very obvious; flowers before leafing out, December through February

FRUIT: double red samara, matures in spring

TWIGS: reddish buds, terminal blunt, globose lateral flower buds; flower buds swell almost as soon as leaves drop in the fall

BARK: light to dark gray, smooth when young, long scaly plates when older

FORM: medium to large tree, 69-90 ft and 2-3’ diameter

HABITAT: cypress-tupelo swamps, very wet sites

WETLAND DESIGNATION: obligate wetland (OBL); almost always occurs (>99%) in wetlands in the southeast US

RANGE: southeast US

USES: considered a soft maple, moderate quality hardwood when large; pulp for paper; maple seed, in general, is used by song and game birds depending upon seed maturity; small mammals use browse, bark, buds; important squirrel food; good deer browse

Brief Recognition Features:

1. same as red maple
2. very wet site
3. lower leaf surface very tomentose