KINGSTON, R.I. — Oct. 2, 2025 — With plans in the works for the Rhode Island state tree to get a ceremonial planting in each Rhode Island town for the United States’ upcoming semiquincentennial (250th) anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the state’s land grant university is offering some helpful information on its noteworthy red maple (Acer rubrum).

In the 1890s—when the University of Rhode Island was just putting down its own roots in the state—a Rhode Island school commissioner gave students a list of trees and asked them to vote on their favorite. More students voted for red maple than any other tree.

University of Rhode Island forestry extension specialist Christopher Riely in the Department of Natural Resources Science is glad to see the red maple get another chance in the spotlight, as a forerunner in the state’s collection of natural sources of state pride, along with the Rhode Island Red chicken, striped bass, violet, greening apple, and quahog.

The red maple may not have the dominant presence of other larger trees like oaks and pines, but its adaptable nature has made it the most common forest tree in Rhode Island. Found in urban and suburban areas around the state, the adaptable species is well-suited to cope with changing climate conditions; these characteristics have helped it become more common in Rhode Island forests in recent decades.

Fall tree facts

With plans underway to officially plant a red maple “Liberty Tree” in each Rhode Island town, some parts of the state may have a head start. Exeter, Foster, and West Greenwich, with more than 84% canopy cover, are among the most highly forested in the state.

Rhode Islanders who want to plant a red maple of their own should aim for the spring. Mid-March to mid-May is generally the best time to plant. Additional facts and details about our state tree:

• The most common tree in Rhode Island, the adaptable red maple can live in different sites and conditions. Red maple is a good yard tree, though less suited for planting along streets or right next to some buildings.
• Red maple seeds are found in a winged samara, or seed pod, intended to help disperse the seeds, so they are a little more difficult to plant than oak acorns. A nursery is the place to go if you are looking for a somewhat larger tree that has been grown for a few years.
• Red maple trees are occasionally tapped for syrup, but less often than sugar maple, as it requires more sap to boil down to syrup. The red maple is a “soft maple,” commonly used for firewood, while the harder, denser sugar maple is the favored species for baseball bats, maple furniture, trim, and other wood products.
• The red maple is one of a number of species that can serve as a host to the invasive Asian longhorn beetle, an exotic species that has the potential to cause great damage in North America.
• Red maple trees support a wide range of wildlife, serving as a food and habitat source for birds, mammals, and insects. Its seeds, buds, leaves, and bark serve as food for different species.
• The tree’s typical longevity in forested settings is 80-100 years, while some individual trees can grow much older. Some of the trees planted this year may be around for the nation’s 350th signing celebrations in 2126.

Red maples are easily found in forested wetlands or swampy areas where they dominate the canopy because of their ability to grow in saturated soils. Riely says there are plenty of red maples around the URI campus. He recommends visiting North Woods immediately adjacent to campus on the north side of Flagg Road.

Red maples can also be found in Roger Williams Park in Providence, Slater Park in Pawtucket, or Miantonomi Park in Newport. Riely also recommends visiting the Great Swamp Management Area in South County or Simmons Mill Pond Management Area in the East Bay, along with properties managed by state conservation organizations and local land trusts, or checking out the exploreri.org website.

“Route 102 in the western part of the state makes a great fall foliage drive,” he says.

With the red maple having its moment, Rhode Islanders can see red maples at their best this fall, as they lead the way in color turning, starting about now. Red maples are among the first deciduous trees to turn color each fall, often near water, according to Riely. Their leaves turn a deep red or russet, before the sugar maple follows suit with its striking displays of yellow, orange and red.

To learn more about the red maple and other trees, visit Rhode Island Woods, an online resource for information on Rhode Island forests, maintained at the University of Rhode Island.