Another thing that all maples have in common is their fruit, called samaras. They are subject to wood rot and landowners have to pay the high cost of tree removal or risk collapse. Quick growth results in brittle branches that break and fall easily, often causing property damage. Landscapers use these trees to get quick results, but they may become a problem in the landscape as they age. All maples have leaves divided into three, five, or seven lobes. Their rapid growth results in a soft wood. The species of maple that we most frequently encounter in the Plant Disease Information Office are: Acer palmatum (Japanese maple), A. Soft maples include a wide variety of trees, such as red and silver maples. They are dull green on top and a lighter color underneath. Hard maples usually have leaves with moderate indentations. The lobes on some maples are mere indentations in the leaves, while others have lobes so deeply divided that a single leaf can look like a cluster of individual, thin leaves. All maples have leaves divided into three, five, or seven lobes. These trees are important to the lumber industry and include black maples and sugar maples, known for their superior quality syrup. Hard maples grow very slowly and live a long time. Field maples can grow to 20m and live for up to 350 years. There are many species of Maples (circa 150 sp) - Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and Field Maple (Acer campestre) are typical Maples.

Elm trees are asymmetrical at the stem and double serrations around the edge. Small, grey leaf buds grow on long stems. Basswood trees have wide leaves with coarse teeth and a notched area around the stem. One distinction between the two maple tree types is the rate of growth. The bark is light brown and flaky, and twigs are slender and brown and develop a corky bark with age. To make maple tree identification a little easier, let's begin by dividing them into two main groups: hard and soft maples. With all of the variations, it's hard to pinpoint a few obvious features that make a tree a maple. Deep, moist, acidic soil results in the healthiest red maples.Maple trees are members of the genus Acer, which includes a lot of variety in size, shape, color, and growth habit. Despite their remarkable roots, red maples grow better in some conditions than others. When red maples grow in dry sites, a long taproot and short lateral roots develop. If the tree is placed in wet soil, it grows a short taproot and extensive lateral roots to soak up water at the surface. Adaptable roots help the red maple to cope with differing soil types. Red maples do well in sunny or shady spots, dry or wet soil, and high or low elevation. A generalist species is one that can tolerate a wide range of habitat conditions and uses many different types of resources. This status can be attributed to the tree’s generalist tendencies. Red maples are perhaps the most abundant tree in the eastern deciduous forest. In the southernmost parts of their range, red maples are a wetland species, which has earned them the nickname “swamp maple.” Lucky bird-watchers might see wood ducks nesting inside cavities of swamp maples. They’re found from Maine west to Minnesota, south to Texas, and east to Florida.

Red maples are native to the eastern deciduous forest.

Maple tree types by leaf