There are things in life that you can count on happening like clockwork. Even more accurate than a groundhog’s shadow, you know that spring has arrived when you see the flowers of maple trees scattered on the ground.
Did you know maple trees have flowers? They do!
To find red maple flowers during your springtime scavenger hunt, you have to look up with binoculars at the tips of the branches or you can wait until they fall to the ground to see them better. The flowers will appear before the leaves sprout on the tree.
If you look very carefully, you might notice that red maples have two different looking flowers. One is male and the other is female. The male flower will have long stamens, a thread-like looking part, that sticks out past the flower petals. The stamens produce pollen.
Tamawi’s Tip: I say you might notice two types of flowers because some red maples have both male and female flowers, which is called monoecious. Other red maple trees will have only one type of flower and that is called dioecious. The red maple can switch from year to year, so watch to see if your tree is different next spring.
Maple trees rely on the wind to pollinate their flowers, instead of insects. The wind carries the pollen from one flower to another, and then the fruits start to form.
Do you know what a maple trees fruit looks like? If not, watch the tree after these red flowers fall to the ground and you will find out in a few weeks.
P.S. The scientific name of red maple is Acer rubrum.
Find more items to hunt for outside here!