Red Maple

Acer rubrum

Red Maples have leaves with three main lobes. The twigs and flower stems are reddish in color. They are commonly found throughout the city.

Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

American Sycamores near 4th and Hammond

American Sycamores are often very large trees with tall, massive trunks. They can be identified by their bark, which is scaly and usually coming off in patches on the lower trunk and large branches. The upper branches are often whitish in color with the bark missing.

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Silver Maple

Acer saccharinum

Silver Maple Leaf

One of the most common trees in Red Oak, the Silver Maple is also often called "soft maple." It is easily identified by its distinctive leaves, which have long lobes with several points. The underside of the leaves are a silvery-gray pale green, giving the tree its name, and creating a shimmering effect when the leaves blow in the wind. Silver maples often branch into several trunks near the ground.

As the species name saccharinum suggests, Silver Maples can be tapped for their sap, which can be used to make maple syrup. They are on the list of prohibited varieties for street trees in Red Oak.

Silver Maple tree on Washington Avenue

Norway Maple - Purple Leaf

Acer platanoides "Crimson King"

This common variety of Norway Maple is easy to spot along Red Oak's streets by its dark purple-green leaves. "Crimson King" is a popular variety that is widely planted. Fruits are purple and green when new, turning brown.

Boxelder

Acer negundo

Boxelder tree in Fountain Square Park

The Boxelder is not actually an elder tree, but a maple tree. Its leaves are similar to those of an ash tree, and it is also called an Ash-leaf Maple. Boxelders are common in Red Oak. The leaves turn yellow in the fall.

Black Maple

Acer nigrum

Black maple tree in Fountain Square Park

Also called Hard Maple and Rock Maple, the Black Maple is a common Iowa tree. It is very similar to the Sugar Maple, but has leaf edges that are wavy rather than jagged. The leaves of the Black Maple often droop at the edges.

Black Maple leaf