Red maple
Acer rubrum
Also called Swamp maple, Carolina maple and Soft maple
Garden plant · TreesKEEP IT AWAY FROM HORSES. Wilted or fallen red maple leaves destroy a horse's red blood cells and a few hundred grams can kill — a branch blown into a paddock is the usual way it happens. Elsewhere it is one of the easiest trees there is.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 4 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun for the colour
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average to high
- Hardiness
- Very hardy RHS H7, to -25°C
- Size
- 15 m tall · 10 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- Eastern North America
Is it safe for pets and people?
Affects horses. Signs: in horses: destruction of the red blood cells, showing as weakness, dark red-brown urine, pale or yellowed gums, and fast breathing and heart rate. Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Keep fallen leaves and storm-broken branches out of any paddock. A few hundred grams of wilted leaf is enough to be fatal.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-22.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- Leaf litter or a broken limb inside a fence line where horses graze. This is a safety check rather than a plant problem, and autumn and after a gale are the two times to walk it.Branches over a paddock · disorder
- Yellow leaves with green veins from midsummer on a tree in alkaline soil, and poor autumn colour to follow. It wants neutral to acid ground.Chlorosis on chalk · disorder