Water Maple Tree

[Angelleyes]

Can anyone tell me if a Water Maple is the same as a Red Maple? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Stumper]

Water Maple is a regional/local name rather than a "proper" common name but as near as we have been able to determine it is a Silver Maple-Acer saccharinum L.

 

[Sylvatica]

Stumper is correct. Water maple is a central US common name for acer saccharinum.

In the northeast acer rubrum is called the swamp maple and red maple, and acer saccharinum is called silver maple.

In the midwest, the common names for acer rubrum are the same, and also include soft maple, and to confuse, water maple as well on occaision.

This all goes to show why a reknowned hoticulturist wrote "common names are a constant source of confusion and embarrassment."

While I too am often amazed that a plant can possess 5 different common names, I do enjoy the interest and history behind regional common plant names. But among horticulturists, when the discussion gets scientific, the nomenclature must also get scientific to eliminate that confusion.

 

[Angelleyes]

Thank you both so much for your help.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Waterr maple is the common anme for A. rubrum, saccharinum, & spicatum off the top of my head.

I could probably find a few othe bottomland maples that the name has been stuck to.

Interesting to note; they all will hybridized readilly in nature.