Is Red Maple deer resistant?
Acer rubrum
Plant typeTreeHardinessZones 2–9LightPart shade
Mature height480–1440 in
BloomSpring and WinterMaintenanceLow, mostly leave it alone
Native range35 US states
About Red Maple
Autumn colour varies enormously between seedlings, from dull yellow to brilliant scarlet, so buy a named cultivar in leaf if colour matters to you. It tolerates wet ground better than most maples but is sensitive to road salt and to alkaline soil, where it goes chlorotic.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 5 to 6.5
- Drainage
- Consistently moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Spacing
- 236 to 354 in apart
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
Similar to Red Maple
Other trees with the same deer rating.
- Allegheny ServiceberryAmelanchier laevisZones 4–8Seldom damaged
- American PlumPrunus americanaZones 3–9Seldom damaged
- Austrian PinePinus nigraZones 4–7Seldom damaged
- Chinese Fringe TreeChionanthus retususZones 5–9Seldom damaged
- Chinese Paper BirchBetula albosinensisZones 5–7Seldom damaged
- ChokecherryPrunus virginianaZones 2–6Seldom damaged
Where Red Maple grows
Hardy across most of these 51 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering.
- Pennsylvanianative
- New Jerseynative
- New Yorknative
- Connecticutnative
- Massachusettsnative
- Virginianative
- Marylandnative
- Michigannative
- Wisconsinnative
- Ohionative
- Indiananative
- Illinoisnative
- Minnesotanative
- Missourinative
- North Carolinanative
- Tennesseenative
- Georgianative
- Texasnative
- Colorado
- California
- Oregonnative
- Washington
- New Hampshirenative
- Vermontnative
- Mainenative
- Rhode Islandnative
- Delawarenative
- West Virginianative
- Kentuckynative
- South Carolinanative
- Floridanative
- Alabamanative
- Mississippinative
- Louisiananative
- Arkansasnative
- Oklahomanative
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowanative
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbianative
- Hawaii
Highlighted states are within its native range according to the USDA PLANTS database, where it is native to 35 US states in total.
Browse from here
Every list Red Maple belongs to.
Hardy in these zones
Common questions about Red Maple
- Is Red Maple deer resistant?
- Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is rated Seldom Severely Damaged on the Rutgers NJAES four-tier scale. Light browsing at worst; rarely ruined.
- What hardiness zones does Red Maple grow in?
- Red Maple is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 9. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Red Maple grow in shade?
- Yes. Red Maple tolerates part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
- How big does Red Maple get?
- Mature height is roughly 480–1440 in. Growth rate is fast.
- Is Red Maple toxic to dogs or cats?
- Not to dogs or cats — the ASPCA lists Red Maple as toxic to horses only. Worth knowing if you keep any; the ASPCA does not list it as a risk to dogs or cats.