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Following Red Maple in Photos

  • News
  • 4 min read

In our spring 2024 newsletter, Caitlin Ayling, Horticultural Consultant with Maple Leaves Forever, wrote an article about growing native maple from seed.  As it turns out, native red maples throughout Muskoka and Haliburton were heavily laden with flowers this spring, so  I thought I would monitor them and provide a photographic journey from flower to seed production!

As noted by Caitlin, red maple produces flowers annually, however some years are more productive than others. Red maple is one of the first trees to flower in the spring so when they have a productive year, the flowers can create a red haze over the forest canopy.

Photo 1: Red Maple Flowering – Red Haze – April 22 Photo Credit Barrie Marting
Photo 2: Close up of Red Maple Flower – April 22

Unfortunately, because red maple flowers so early, it is also susceptible to frost and not surprisingly, we had a heavy frost on April 22. Days later, flowers appeared on the ground like a carpet.

Photo 3 – Morning of April 22 – Frost overnight
Photo 4 – Dropped Red Maple Flowers  – April 22 afternoon

Throughout May, I watched the leaves develop and remaining flowers develop into healthy and ripe samaras (wings)on my small road side red maple demonstration area. 

Photo 5 – Red Maple buds opening – May 3
Photo 6 – Red maple leaves and samaras emerging – May 9
Photo 7 – Red maple leaves and samaras emerging – May 13
Photo 8 – Red maple leaves and samaras emerging – May 27

While there was  still an abundance of seed, I do wonder what kind of crop it would have been without the frost on April 22! According to the Seeds of Ontario Trees and Shrubs Field Manual for Crop Forecasting and Collecting, red maple seed disperse quickly by mid June. 

Have you seen a bumper crop of red maple seed develop this spring where you live? Let us know and share your pictures!

I will be travelling east to Newfoundland this spring and will take the opportunity to visit several tree nurseries along the way. Some of the  questions I will be asking them will be:

  •  Do you grow and supply native maple trees to your clients? 
  • Where do you get your seed?  and
  • How was your seed crop this year?

I will provide an update on what I learn in a future newsletter!

Have a great Canada Day!  You can learn more about the maple leaf on Canada’s national flag here.

Deb Pella Keen

On behalf of  the Maple Leaves Forever Team

Part of the MLF Summer ENewsletter – sign up for quarterly news here!