Red maples are currently one of our most common and abundant tree species in eastern North America. Maples are often thought of as a northern tree, loved for their spectacular displays of changing leaves in the fall. Did you know that there are two species of maple trees that will actually grow well here in Florida? The native red maple (Acer rubrum) and Florida maple (Acer saccharum subsp. floridanum) can be grown in the Sunshine State.
Why Consider Maples for Landscaping?
Maple trees are renowned for their vibrant fall foliage, with colors ranging from bright yellow to deep red. This stunning seasonal display can significantly enhance the beauty of a property and create a picturesque landscape that few other ornamentals can match in the Florida Fall. Maples tend to grow quicker too, allowing you to enjoy their canopies instead of waiting and hoping you do, but also due to the benefits it provides our pollinators and wildlife too!
Supporting Pollinators and Wildlife with Maples
Our early pollinators, including honey bees, bumble bees, mining bees, and sweat bees, will gather nectar and pollen from the flowers. The foliage is eaten by several species of moth caterpillars, including many of our larger moths like the rosy maple moth. Deer will also frequently browse the young twigs and leaves. The seeds are eaten by squirrels, small rodents, and songbirds. Birds, squirrels, and other animals will also seek shelter among the tree’s branches and in any hollows that might form in the trunk or branches.
Early Blooms: A Key Resource for Bees
Maples are excellent for bees as they provide abundant nectar in early spring when few other plants are blooming, supporting bee populations emerging from winter dormancy. Most books will tell you February to March, but beekeepers will tell you that you can see blooms as early as the week of Christmas and into January.
Hummingbirds and Maple Sap
A favorite sap of the hummingbirds is that of the sugar maple tree—the same substance from which maple syrup is made. Several researchers have offered maple syrup—the boiled-down sap, not the artificial stuff—to hummingbirds over the years to observe the birds’ reaction to it, with positive results as well as finding a maple tree, waiting for another bird called a sapsipper, and following it to ensure it gets the sap from the Maple (Mike Schira, Michigan State University Extension). They also indulge in the nectar from flowers too. Also, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, female Rufous Hummingbirds build nests up to 30 feet high in both coniferous and deciduous trees, including maples. They prefer locations with drooping branches that offer concealment
Nutritional Benefits of Maple Blooms for Pollinators
The sucrose concentrations of a Maple bloom are consistently higher than 33% of total sugar, which categorizes this nectar as sucrose-rich. The pollen of analyzed Acer species have on average 25.3% of protein, and no considerable differences were revealed among the species. To put this in layman’s terms, it is high-quality food for pollinators, and this tree along with willow is considered a “brood-builder” bloom as the colonies can grow exponentially once they begin to yield.
Red Maple’s Versatility and Appeal
Red maple’s ability to adapt to a wide variety of conditions and its beautiful fall foliage make it a common species for use in landscaping. Its widespread use as an ornamental tree makes red maples very easy to find in the horticulture trade.