Red Maple, Abbie Korolik
Common Name(s)	Red Maple, Swamp Maple, Water Maple, Soft Maple, Scarlet Maple
Scientific Name	Ammophila breviligulata
Family	Aceraceae
Location/Vegetative Zone	Thicket
Flowering Period	Mid March to Late April
Identifying Characteristics	Leaves, seeds, and twigs are all red

Description

• Leaves
  • Deciduous and oppositely arranged
  • 5-10 cm long
  • Only red during fall
• Twigs are red
• Red flowers with 5 small petals
• Lives less than 100 years.
• The fruiting Period is from early May to June.
• Distributed across Eastern North America.
• Grows to a height of 30-75 feet.

Medicinal/Edible Uses

• Bark
  • Treats sore eyes
• Sap
  • Makes sweeteners and syrups
• Used in treatments for
  • Diarrhea, ears/eyes, gynecology, skin

Cultural Uses

• Used by Native Americans
  • Wood
    • Cooking tools and bowls
    • Stable gear
    • Arrowheads
  • Bark dried and sifted to make bread
  • Fibers used for basketry
• Modern Day
  • Wood
    • Medium quality firewood
    • Provides soft maple for furniture
  • Sap used in production of Maple Syrup
  • Make colorful bonsais

Misc.

• Toxic to horses

Sources:

Moerman, Daniel M. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland: Timber Press Inc., 1998. Print.

Duke, James A. and Steven Foster. Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. Print.

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