Current native
37
exact source areas
Home / Plants / Grow / Red maple
Acer rubrum
Your local evidence lens
A genus split is not a placement verdict. Set a ZIP to read the local documented split.
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.
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
exact source areas
Current introduced
exact source areas
Qualified
doubtful or extinct source rows
Eastern United States Fire Performance Plant Selector
Source prints 4 · single-value meaning unresolved
Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590)
3–9 explicit range
USDA PLANTS Database — Plant Characteristics
Minimum 2a · no upper limit documented
Fire-Resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590)
“listed fire-resistant”
Fire-Resistant Plants for Eastern Washington
“listed fire-resistant”
Firewise Landscaping in North Carolina (E05-44596)
“Low flammability rating”
Firewise Landscaping (OSU Extension Bulletin 921)
“L flammability”
May tolerate wet soil; intolerant of wounding and alkaline soil.
Virginia Firescapes — Firewise Landscaping for Woodland Homes (430-300)
“L flammability”
Tolerates wet soil conditions.
Fire-Resistant Landscaping in North Carolina (AG-874)
“low flammability”
FireSmart BC Plant Program — fire-resistant plant chart
“FireSmart-approved fire-resistant plant”
Wildfire-resistant Landscape Plants for Michigan (Extension Bulletin E2948)
“considered wildfire-resistant and are recommended for Michigan’s climate”
Table 1 row: Acer rubrum (Red maple).
Fire-resistant plant profile galleries
“Choose the right trees for your fire-resistant landscape”
The Red maple profile prints Acer rubrum or Acer x freemanii (red maple hybrids). The gallery points to PNW 590 for complete details.
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — plant profiles and flammability ratings
“low flammability”
NC Toolbox facet capture lists "Acer rubrum" under the low flammability tag.
“low”
The table rates Maple, Big-toothed or Red — Acer grandidentatum or A. rubrum low for flammability hazard, defined as the ease a plant can burn at high temperatures for a prolonged time.
Firewise Landscaping Plants (Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia editions)
“relatively resistant to fire”
Listed as Acer rubrum (Red Maple). The source says listed species exhibit stronger resistance to ignition by wildfires. Source comments: Tolerates wet soils
Maine fire-resistant plant list
“listed as fire-resistant for landscaping 30-100 feet from a structure”
Maine Forest Service includes Red maple (Acer rubrum) on its partial fire-resistant plant list for landscaping 30-100 feet from a structure. The printed scientific name is a unique current-name match to this record.
Eastern United States Fire Performance Plant Selector
“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
“Measured; not in an author-named high or low effective-heat-of-combustion group”
Conditioned foliage and twigs were tested at 25 kW/m2 in a cone calorimeter.
FLAMITS: FLAMmability plant traiTS database
“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.
“flame height (cm): 59.72”
FLAMITS record 5495; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“flame height (cm): 39.87”
FLAMITS record 5496; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“flame height (cm): 26.06”
FLAMITS record 5497; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“flaming duration (s): 44.37”
FLAMITS record 5510; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“flaming duration (s): 51.28”
FLAMITS record 5511; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“flaming duration (s): 54.27”
FLAMITS record 5512; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“smouldering duration (s): 252.65”
FLAMITS record 5525; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“smouldering duration (s): 234.48”
FLAMITS record 5526; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“smouldering duration (s): 144.84”
FLAMITS record 5527; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“burnt biomass (%): 84.54”
FLAMITS record 5540; Consumability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“burnt biomass (%): 51.12”
FLAMITS record 5541; Consumability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“burnt biomass (%): 31.79”
FLAMITS record 5542; Consumability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Kane2021-1; sampling spring. 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.
“flame height (cm): 59.7”
FLAMITS record 13583; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2021-1; sampling ND. 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.
“flaming duration (s): 47.1”
FLAMITS record 13584; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2021-1; sampling ND. 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.
“smouldering duration (s): 248.6”
FLAMITS record 13585; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2021-1; sampling ND. 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.
“burnt biomass (%): 84.3”
FLAMITS record 13586; Consumability measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2021-1; sampling ND. 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.
“flame intensity (kW/m): 184”
FLAMITS record 13587; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel all; predrying yes; device burning bench; site Varner2021-1; sampling ND. 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.
“flame height (cm): 60”
FLAMITS record 18712; Combustibility measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying no; device burning bench; site Kreye2023-1; sampling ND. 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.
“time to flaming (s): 47”
FLAMITS record 18713; Ignitability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying no; device burning bench; site Kreye2023-1; sampling ND. 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.
“smouldering duration (s): 249”
FLAMITS record 18714; Sustainability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying no; device burning bench; site Kreye2023-1; sampling ND. 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.
“burnt biomass (%): 84”
FLAMITS record 18715; Consumability measurement; plant part litter; fuel live; predrying no; device burning bench; site Kreye2023-1; sampling ND. 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.