The maple barely beat out the elm. Or maybe it was simply selected because of its beauty. In the fall, red maple leaves turn gold, purple, and scarlet, adding to the beauty of Rhode Island's forests. But the red maple was named for the bright red flowers it produces in spring. No other North American tree boasts as great a north-south range.
Red maples grow from eastern Newfoundland to very near the southern tip of Florida.
The red maple faces some stiff competition, between the Liberty Tree and the red maple leaf on Canada's national flag. That is, the leaf is red in color. It's popularly considered a sugar maple, the most popular of state trees. But the red maple may be the most patient. Rhode Island's state tree wasn't officially adopted until 1964, making it one of the last to be adopted.