Red Maple
Maples are generally medium-sized trees, although this genus, belonging to the Sapindacee family, brings together more than a hundred species, including shrubs that do not exceed the meter, and large trees that can reach 30 meters in height; Apart from only one species, originating in the Southern Hemisphere, all other maple species originate in Asia, Europe and North America.
Although there are evergreen maples, in parks and gardens we often find fallow-leafed maples; First of all because the species that lose leaves in winter are much more numerous; Secondly, because many species and varieties of maple spread in cultivation assume in autumn a beautiful foliage coloration, which can vary from golden rooster to red burgundy.
Most of the maples have palm-shaped and lobed foliage, clearly marked by veins, often in darker colors; There are species with whole and non-lobed species, but typically the maple leaf has five lobes, and some species can reach up to seven or nine lobes; The most representative maple leaf of the genus is the one present on the Canadian flag, with three well-defined lobes.
There are plenty of maple trees cultivated in the garden, though surely the most widespread is acer palmatum or acer japonicum because they are small-sized specimens that often do not exceed the height meter and can therefore also be found in gardens Of modest size or on the terrace, in pot. Maple flowers are unobtrusive, green, red, or orange, and often appear just before the leaves in the spring, or with them; It is not a big and decorative flower, but simple flowers, assembled in corumes; They become obscure only when the tree is in full bloom, because the whole life is certainly particular.
