Leaves are 2 - 6 inches long and somewhat broader than long. They turn brilliant scarlet, orange or bright yellow in autumn. On old trunks, the bark is thick, dark gray and separated by vertical ridges into large plate-like scales. Red maple is often planted as an ornamental. The buds and samaras are a primary food source for gray squirrels in late winter and early spring.
Sprouts are a favorite deer browse.
Tolerates wet, swampy soils, but grows best on fertile well drained loam. The white flowers bloom when the leaves are about half grown. The cherries are dark red when they are fully developed, turning black with dark purple flesh as they ripen. They are food for wild animals and birds. Black cherry is the largest of the native cherries of the United States and the only one of commercial value.