red maple

Acer rubrum · Sapindaceae · all Acer records · Wikipedia

Is this one for your yard?

Enter your ZIP to see whether this is legal to plant in your state, and whether it survives your winter.

Red maple is consistently rated fire resistant across six assessments from public extension and natural-resource agencies.

The agreement holds across different systems. Oregon State, Washington State, and University of Idaho Extension, along with Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources, list red maple as fire-resistant. North Carolina’s extension service rates it low on both its older four-level scale and its newer three-level scale. Ohio State University Extension assigns it L on a five-level scale, and Virginia Cooperative Extension assigns it L on a three-level scale. Every result falls on the recommended side of its source’s system.

This is also geographically broad agreement, covering Oregon, Washington, and Idaho; eastern Washington; North Carolina; Ohio and the Midwest; and Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic. Beyond its native range in the Southeastern, Northeastern, North-Central, and South-Central United States, red maple is introduced in Oregon and Washington. It grows in USDA zones 3a through 9b.

Plan for red maple’s high water needs and mature height of about 68 feet. Ohio State says it may tolerate wet soil but is intolerant of wounding and alkaline soil; Virginia says it tolerates wet soil conditions. Taken together, the assessments give a clear answer: red maple is a fire-resistant choice, with mature size and water needs still part of the planting decision.

Form: tree
Mature height: ~68 ft
Water need: high
Rated in: British Columbia; Georgetown, Texas; Global; Maine +12

On this lot

1. Fire evidence and conditions

Fire evidence: Fire-resistant — location does not change the cited classification.
Fire-performance conditions: 2 conditions stated in cited fire-evidence rows.
Fire ecology context
Placement evidence: 7 source placement records; source schemes remain separate.
Evidence regions: British Columbia; Georgetown, Texas; Global; Maine; Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia; Michigan / Great Lakes; NC; North Carolina; North Carolina / southeastern US; OR/WA/ID; Ohio / Midwest; Pacific Northwest (Oregon / Washington / Idaho); Virginia / Mid-Atlantic; eastern US; eastern WA; north-eastern and mid-Atlantic United States
Maintenance

Typed publication scope: 12 scopes across 10 cited fire sources

Combustion characteristics of north-eastern USA vegetation tested in the cone calorimeter · Official scoped edition
- Northeastern and mid-Atlantic study sites (ME, MD, MA, NY, VA footprint); partial normalized coverage · 2007-08-20
  The authors collected foliage and twigs across study sites in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia, then conditioned and tested the samples in a cone calorimeter. FireApproved publishes 37 exact source owners only as multi-state laboratory context. The source does not establish that every taxon was sampled in every named state, whole-plant behavior, landscape suitability, or state planting guidance.
Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions) · Official scoped edition
- MD; partial normalized coverage · 2015-01-08
  Maryland Forest Service says the list contains plants that can be grown in Maryland and identifies Maryland natives. FireApproved publishes 169 exact source owners from the 180 printed rows; an unrepresentable form and duplicate-owner rows are not broadened. The list calls itself non-comprehensive and does not establish suitability for every Maryland site.
- NJ; partial normalized coverage
  New Jersey DEP publishes a state edition saying the listed plants can be grown in New Jersey and are relatively resistant to fire. Its same 180 printed taxon occurrences map to the 169 conservative owners already normalized for the template family. The list is non-comprehensive and does not establish suitability for every New Jersey site or override the Pinelands Commission's separate placement and fuel-break rules.
- WV; partial normalized coverage · 2026-08-26
  West Virginia Division of Forestry publishes a state edition saying the listed plants can be grown in West Virginia and are relatively resistant to fire. Its same 180 printed taxon occurrences map to the 169 conservative owners already normalized for the template family. The list is non-comprehensive and provides no comparative or site-specific rating.
Maine fire-resistant plant list · Official scoped edition
- ME; partial normalized coverage · 2013-10-23
  Maine Forest Service presents a partial list for landscaping 30-100 feet from a structure. FireApproved publishes only 39 unique exact current/accepted matches plus Rhus typhina from the source's explicit parenthetical; unresolved, abbreviated, misspelled, absent, and duplicate-owner rows remain held.
Wildfire-resistant Landscape Plants for Michigan (Extension Bulletin E2948) · Official scoped edition
- MI; partial normalized coverage · 2007-01-01
  Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E2948 is explicitly a list of wildfire-resistant landscape plants for Michigan and includes a Michigan-native field. FireApproved publishes 221 exact GBIF owners from 226 represented source rows and holds 15 complex or non-exact rows. This dated publication scope is not a current site-suitability determination.
Fire-Resistant Landscaping in North Carolina (AG-874) · Official scoped edition
- NC; complete normalized coverage · 2025-03-26
  The complete three-table AG-874 plant list is explicitly for North Carolina and contains 202 low-, medium-, or high-flammability rows. FireApproved accounts for all source rows under its strict taxonomy and lineage rules; source scope does not establish local suitability at a particular North Carolina site.
Firewise Landscaping (OSU Extension Bulletin 921) · Official scoped edition
- OH; partial normalized coverage · 2006-03-01
  Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 921 is an Ohio publication that describes Ohio fire seasons and landscape conditions and labels nativity to Ohio. FireApproved publishes 352 exact source-owning plant records from its eight rated tables. This historical publication scope does not assert current extension endorsement or that a listed plant suits every Ohio site.
Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590) · Official scoped edition
- ID, OR, WA; partial normalized coverage · 2023-10-01
  The October 2023 joint Pacific Northwest Extension publication explicitly names Oregon, Washington, and Idaho and publishes more than 150 plant profiles. FireApproved has normalized 155 exact plant records from the source; publication scope does not assert that every listed plant suits every site within the three states.
Firewise Plant Guide · Official scoped edition
- Sun City Texas, Georgetown (TX footprint); partial normalized coverage · 2015-01-14
  The guide is authored for the Sun City Texas community in Georgetown. FireApproved publishes 142 exact owners only as community-level context. It is an archived HOA exhibit with unknown rating lineage, not a current statewide Texas source or an independent Tier 1 determination.
Virginia Firescapes — Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes (430-300) · Official scoped edition
- VA; partial normalized coverage · 2009-04-15
  Virginia Cooperative Extension's publication opens with Virginia wildfire conditions, identifies its Virginia Firewise Landscaping Task Force, and labels plants native to Virginia. FireApproved publishes 306 exact source owners. Publication scope does not establish parcel suitability or current endorsement of this archived 2009 list.
Fire-Resistant Plants for Eastern Washington · Official scoped edition
- Eastern Washington (WA footprint); partial normalized coverage
  Washington DNR publishes the guide for Eastern Washington and says it compiles plants from other Firewise documents that are likely to thrive there. FireApproved publishes 46 exact owners only as eastern Washington context. The rows are corroborative, not empirical or statewide.

2. Why this plant is relevant here

State distribution: Documented in AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV.
Native range: Current cited native range in AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV.
Introduced / established: 2 sourced range or established records. This is not an invasive warning.
USDA hardiness: 2 applicable cited hardiness statements overlap but have different boundaries; compare each complete source row.

3. Legal, ecological, and broader status

Legal-list status
Seed-list status
Reported invasive here
Broader regional context
Federal context

Plant-specific legal-list reviews (10)

These source-bound review receipts are separate from ecological invasive reports. A source or plant identity change invalidates a receipt.

This is a legal-list lookup result, not a claim that the plant is ecologically noninvasive or unrestricted by another authority.

DE · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Delaware 3 DE Admin. Code 806 Invasive Plant and Plant Watch Lists legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Delaware Department of Agriculture; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
IN · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Indiana 312 IAC 18-3-25 Prohibited Invasive Terrestrial Plants legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Indiana Department of Natural Resources; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
MA · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
ME · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Maine Chapter 273 Do Not Sell and Special Concern Lists legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
NV · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Nevada NAC 555.010 Category A, B, and C Noxious Weeds legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Nevada State Quarantine Officer; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
NY · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed New York 6 NYCRR Part 575 Prohibited and Regulated Invasive Species legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
OH · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Ohio OAC 901:5-30-01 Invasive Plant Species legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Ohio Department of Agriculture; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
OR · Legal-list status not reviewed. FireApproved has no current plant-specific review receipt for this jurisdiction.
VA · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Virginia 2VAC5-317 Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 Noxious Weeds legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Virginia Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.
WA · Not found in reviewed legal list. Not found in the complete reviewed Washington State Noxious Weed List (WAC 16-750) legal list as of 2026-08-26 after this record’s scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were checked. Authority: Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board; scope: state; as of 2026-08-26. Official reference. Normalized source record.

Plant-specific state seed-list reviews (13)

These source-bound receipts answer only the July 2026 state noxious-weed seed-list question.

This answers only whether the plant identity appears in the July 2026 state noxious-weed seed sheet. It does not establish non-seed plant legal status, ecological-invasive status, nursery-sale rules, or unrestricted use.

CT, DE, HI, IA, IL, KS, MO, MS, ND, NH, PA, RI, VT · Seed not found in reviewed state list. The record's scientific name, accepted name, and stored synonyms were not found in this complete state seed sheet as of 2026-08-26. Official USDA seed requirements. Normalized source record.

How to read this page

The status above is computed from the cited rows below: independent recommendations can support a fire-resistant result, an avoid row can produce keep-away, and disagreement stays visible as conflict. Placement notes preserve each source’s own scheme rather than translating unlike rules into one scale. This is evidence about a plant, not permission to plant it in every part of the defensible space; Zone 0 remains noncombustible.

Native and introduced range evidence

These are exact U.S. botanical-area records from the cited range source. Native and introduced describe biogeographic relationship, not fire performance or planting approval. Doubtful and extinct rows stay visible but do not count as current presence.

Current native

37

exact source areas

Current introduced

2

exact source areas

Qualified

0

doubtful or extinct source rows

37 native source areas · World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16 v16, as of 2026-06-04

Alabama (AL)
Arkansas (AR)
Connecticut (CT)
District of Columbia (DC)
Delaware (DE)
Florida (FL)
Georgia (GA)
Iowa (IA)
Illinois (IL)
Indiana (IN)
Kentucky (KY)
Louisiana (LA)
Massachusetts (MA)
Maryland (MD)
Maine (ME)
Michigan (MI)
Minnesota (MN)
Missouri (MO)
Mississippi (MS)
North Carolina (NC)
North Dakota (ND)
New Hampshire (NH)
New Jersey (NJ)
New Mexico (NM)
New York (NY)
Ohio (OH)
Oklahoma (OK)
Pennsylvania (PA)
Rhode I. (RI)
South Carolina (SC)
South Dakota (SD)
Tennessee (TN)
Texas (TX)
Virginia (VA)
Vermont (VT)
Wisconsin (WI)
West Virginia (WV)

2 introduced source areas · World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16 v16, as of 2026-06-04

Oregon (OR)
Washington (WA)

The lossless worldwide derivative is retained once in the research corpus; object pages repeat only exact U.S. areas needed by the local lens. The JSON twin carries the same page assertions.

Plant hardiness evidence

These values describe the plant source. Your ZIP zone comes from the separate 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Whole-zone values stay whole-zone, and a single unresolved value is not treated as a tolerance range. Different source boundaries stay separate: overlapping statements are compared independently, while only ranges with no shared zone are called a conflict.

Eastern United States Fire Performance Plant Selector · record acer-rubrum · 2016-wayback · as of 2026-08-26

Source prints 4 · single-value meaning unresolved · whole zone precision · source stated

Source taxon: Acer rubrum · exact match.

Source location: Cold Hardiness Zone field in the recovered selector record.

Not used for comparison: The recovered selector prints one Cold Hardiness Zone value but does not define it as a minimum threshold or a one-zone range.
Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590) · record trees:Red maple · 2023-10 · as of 2026-08-26

3–9 explicit range · whole zone precision · source stated

Source taxon: Acer rubrum · exact match.

Source location: Red maple profile, USDA hardiness zones field.
USDA PLANTS Database — Plant Characteristics · record ACRU · PLANTS Help Document 2022; characteristics cache retrieved 2026-08-23 · as of 2026-08-26

Minimum 2a · no upper limit documented · half zone precision · derived containing band

Exact source measurement: -47°F; mapped only to its containing half-zone.

Source taxon: Acer rubrum · source identifier match.

Source location: PlantCharacteristics record 92846, Temperature, Minimum (°F).

Conditions in the fire evidence

These describe tested or rated plant material. They are not horticultural maintenance instructions.

cured: Combustion characteristics of north-eastern USA vegetation tested in the cone calorimeter evidence row
dead material: FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database evidence row (condition method), FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database evidence row (condition method), FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database evidence row (condition method), FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database evidence row (condition method), FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database evidence row (condition method)

Where its sources say to plant it

Placement rules below use each source's own distances or named zones, tied to its rating. They are not interchangeable with the directory's current Zone 0 guidance.

Eastern United States Fire Performance Plant Selector: Landscape Zone 3 — 10–30 ft from the structure; thin vegetation, remove debris, and minimize plant massing [Fire Performance Plant Selector landscape zone] (mid-scale rating)
FireSmart BC Plant Program: suitable for HIZ extended zone (30-100 m) [FireSmart BC Home Ignition Zone] (with its recommendation)
Fire-resistant plant profile galleries: Red maple — Acer rubrum [osu-2023-trees-gallery] (with its recommendation)
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: acer-rubrum [nc-toolbox-flammability-facet] (with its recommendation)
Firewise Plant Guide: Hardwood Trees [Sun City plant-table sections] (with its recommendation)
Firewise Landscaping Plants: Deciduous Trees [Maryland Firewise plant-form tables] (with its recommendation)
Maine fire-resistant plant list: Trees, page 1: Red maple - Acer rubrum [Maine Forest Service list section and page] (with its recommendation)

The evidence

Grouped by what each source concluded. Primary evidence rated the plant itself (a lab, field program, or original curation); corroboration compiled or republished another source's rating and resolves to its root lineage.

Mid-scale / conditional (2)

Eastern United States Fire Performance Plant Selector — USDA Forest Service Northeastern Area S&PF + state Firewise programs (WV, OH, PA, DE, DC, MD, NJ) · 2016-wayback · original source Primary evidence Keyed curation lineage: ufifas-srs-tree

“MODERATELY Firewise (2)”

In naturalized setting can be multi-stemmed with ladder potential therefore increasing flammability.
Combustion characteristics of north-eastern USA vegetation tested in the cone calorimeter — International Journal of Wildland Fire (Dibble, White, Lebow) · 2007 · original source Primary evidence Lab-tested lineage: usfs-fpl-cone-tree

“Measured; not in an author-named high or low effective-heat-of-combustion group” · score 13.61 (AEHOC-MJ-kg) · condition: cured · original source

Conditioned foliage and twigs were tested at 25 kW/m2 in a cone calorimeter.

Listed without a rating (22)

Corroboration (22 rows from 1 source)

FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database — Dryad / Global Ecology and Biogeography · Dryad version 9 · original source Corroboration Trait database lineage: meta-aggregator

22 cited rows from this source; its identity, lineage and tier are stated once.
- “calorific value (kcal/kg): 3057.23”
  
  FLAMITS record 2857; Combustibility measurement; plant part leaves; fuel live; predrying yes; device calorimeter; site Dibble2007-1; sampling ND. Primary study Dibble2007: Dibble, A. C., White, R. H., & Lebow, P. K. (2007). Combustion characteristics of north-eastern USA vegetation tested in the cone calorimeter: invasive versus non-invasive plants. International journal of wildland fire, 16, 426-443.
- Primary study Kane2021: Kane, J. M., Kreye, J. K., Barajas-Ramirez, R., & Varner, J. M. (2021). Litter trait driven dampening of flammability following deciduous forest community shifts in eastern North America. Forest Ecology and Management, 489, 119100.
  
  Shared row context: plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement.
    - “flame height (cm): 59.72”
      
      FLAMITS record 5495.
    - “flame height (cm): 39.87”
      
      FLAMITS record 5496.
    - “flame height (cm): 26.06”
      
      FLAMITS record 5497.
  - Shared measurement context: Sustainability measurement.
    - “flaming duration (s): 44.37”
      
      FLAMITS record 5510.
    - “flaming duration (s): 51.28”
      
      FLAMITS record 5511.
    - “flaming duration (s): 54.27”
      
      FLAMITS record 5512.
    - “smouldering duration (s): 252.65”
      
      FLAMITS record 5525.
    - “smouldering duration (s): 234.48”
      
      FLAMITS record 5526.
    - “smouldering duration (s): 144.84”
      
      FLAMITS record 5527.
  - Shared measurement context: Consumability measurement.
    - “burnt biomass (%): 84.54”
      
      FLAMITS record 5540.
    - “burnt biomass (%): 51.12”
      
      FLAMITS record 5541.
    - “burnt biomass (%): 31.79”
      
      FLAMITS record 5542.
- Primary study Varner2021: Varner, J. M., Kane, J. M., Kreye, J. K., & Shearman, T. M. (2021). Litter Flammability of 50 Southeastern North American Tree Species: Evidence for Mesophication Gradients Across Multiple Ecosystems. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 4, 727042. Primary-study method: freshly fallen litter was oven-dried at 50–60°C for at least 24 hours to constant mass; each trial used a 15 g dry litter fuelbed, with five to seven trials per species.
  
  Shared row context: plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2021-1; sampling ND.
  - Shared measurement context: Combustibility measurement.
    - “flame height (cm): 59.7” · condition: dead material · condition method: Materials and Methods, Laboratory Burning
      
      FLAMITS record 13583.
    - “flame intensity (kW/m): 184” · condition: dead material · condition method: Materials and Methods, Laboratory Burning
      
      FLAMITS record 13587.
  - Shared measurement context: Sustainability measurement.
    - “flaming duration (s): 47.1” · condition: dead material · condition method: Materials and Methods, Laboratory Burning
      
      FLAMITS record 13584.
    - “smouldering duration (s): 248.6” · condition: dead material · condition method: Materials and Methods, Laboratory Burning
      
      FLAMITS record 13585.
  - “burnt biomass (%): 84.3” · condition: dead material · condition method: Materials and Methods, Laboratory Burning
    
    FLAMITS record 13586; Consumability measurement.
- Primary study Kreye2023: Kreye, J. K., Kane, J. M., & Varner, J. M. (2023). Multivariate roles of litter traits on moisture and flammability of temperate northeastern North American tree species. Fire Ecology, 19, 1-12.
  
  Shared row context: plant part litter; fuel live; predrying no; device burning bench; site Kreye2023-1; sampling ND.
  - “flame height (cm): 60”
    
    FLAMITS record 18712; Combustibility measurement.
  - “time to flaming (s): 47”
    
    FLAMITS record 18713; Ignitability measurement.
  - “smouldering duration (s): 249”
    
    FLAMITS record 18714; Sustainability measurement.
  - “burnt biomass (%): 84”
    
    FLAMITS record 18715; Consumability measurement.

Guides that discuss this plant

Last verified 2026-08-23. JSON (CC BY 4.0)

Profiles: USDA PLANTS · GBIF · iNaturalist · Wikidata · Wikipedia · ITIS

Acer rubrum (Red maple). FireApproved. https://fireapproved.com/plants/acer-rubrum/. Last verified 2026-08-23.