The buds form in fall and winter and are often visible from a distance due to their large size and reddish tint.

It can be found from the south of Newfoundland, through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and southern Quebec to the southwest west of Ontario, extreme southeastern Manitoba and northern Minnesota; southward through Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Texas in its western range; and east to Florida.

An example is the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, where red maple is not found in the dominant open plains, but is present along streams.

[13] Here the red maple is not present in the bottom land forests of the Grain Belt, despite the fact it is common in similar habitats and species associations both to the north and south of this area.

[8] A. rubrum does very well in a wide range of soil types, with varying textures, moisture, pH, and elevation, probably more so than any other forest tree in North America.

A. rubrum's high pH tolerance means that it can grow in a variety of places, and it is widespread along the Eastern United States.

[14] It grows on glaciated as well as unglaciated soils derived from granite, gneiss, schist, sandstone, shale, slate, conglomerate, quartzite, and limestone.

However, it is nonetheless common in mountainous areas on relatively dry ridges, as well as on both the south and west sides of upper slopes.

Furthermore, it is common in swampy areas, along the banks of slow moving streams, as well as on poorly drained flats and depressions.

[8] The density of the tree in many of these areas has increased six- to seven-fold, and this trend seems to be continuing, all of which is due to human factors, mainly loss of forest management by Native Americans who managed the forests to enhance acorn production and oak tree growth.

[16] This loss of management has been further enhanced by continued heavy logging and a recent trend of young, shrubby forests recovering from past human disturbances.

Red maple dominates such sites, but largely disappears until it only has a sparse presence by the time a forest is mature.

Extensive use of red maple in landscaping has also contributed to the surge in the species' numbers as volunteer seedlings proliferate.

The tree's thin bark is easily damaged from ice and storms, animals, and when used in landscaping, being struck by flying debris from lawn mowers, allowing fungi to penetrate and cause heart rot.

The seeds are epigeal and tend to germinate in early summer soon after they are released, assuming a small amount of light, moisture, and sufficient temperatures are present.

Though they eventually die if no light reaches them, they serve as a reservoir, waiting to fill any open area of the canopy above.

Red maple is able to increase its numbers significantly when associate trees are damaged by disease, cutting, or fire.

[8] One of its associates, the black cherry (Prunus serotina), contains benzoic acid, which has been shown to be a potential allelopathic inhibitor of red maple growth.

Elk and white-tailed deer in particular use the current season's growth of red maple as an important source of winter food.

Due to A. rubrum's very wide range, there is significant variation in hardiness, size, form, time of flushing, onset of dormancy, and other traits.

As a result of such variation, there is much genetic potential for breeding programs with a goal of producing red maples for cultivation.

Treatment is limited and can include the use of methylene blue or mineral oil and activated carbon in order to stop further absorption of the toxin into the stomach, as well as blood transfusions, fluid support, diuretics, and anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C. About 50% to 75% of affected horses die or are euthanized as a result.

[19] Red maple's rapid growth, ease of transplanting, attractive form, and value for wildlife (in the eastern US) has made it one of the most extensively planted trees.

[7] Red maple is a good choice of a tree for urban areas when there is ample room for its root system.

[20] It is more tolerant of pollution and road salt than sugar maples, although the tree's fall foliage is not as vibrant in this environment.

[21] Red maples make vibrant and colorful bonsai, and have year around attractive features for display.

Like A. saccharum, the wood of red maple is close-grained, but its texture is softer, less dense, and has not as desirable an appearance, particularly under a clear finish.

However, the wood from Acer rubrum while being typically less expensive than hard maple, also has greater dimensional stability than that of A. saccharum, and also machines and stains easier.

Red maple lumber also contains a greater percentage of "curly" (aka "flame"/"fiddleback") figure, which is prized by musical instrument/custom furniture makers, as well as the veneer industry.

[8] Native Americans used red maple bark as a wash for inflamed eyes and cataracts, and as a remedy for hives and muscular aches.