Wood: The wood is light brown, moderately heavy, strong and moderately soft. It is used for furniture, flooring, cabinets, veneer, clothes hangers and kitchenware. By adding sulfate of iron to the tannin extracted from the bark, pioneers were able to make ink. Red maple can be used to make maple syrup, although the sap contains less sugar than the sugar maple.
Wildlife: The seeds, buds and flowers are eaten by a number of wildlife species. Squirrels and chipmunks store the seeds; deer and rabbits eat the young shoots and leaves; and the prairie warbler uses young red maples for nesting sites.
Horticulture: The red maple hybridizes easily with the sliver maple (A. saccharinum). It is not as fast-growing as the silver maple, but it has better fall color and stronger wood. It is an excellent tree for lawn, park and street planting, casting a deep shade that is not too oppressive. One of the best cultivars is 'Red Sunset,' a cold-hardy, pyramidal to rounded tree with excellent orange to red fall foliage. 'Landsburg' is a selection from northern Minnesota, hardy to zone 3, with brilliant red fall color.
