The difference between red maple and Japanese maple can be distinguished by these four points!

Difference 1: Branches

The bark of the red maple branches is relatively rough, hard, and reddish-brown; the bark of the Japanese maple branches is relatively delicate, very flexible, and green. This is also the most obvious difference. You can directly tell its name from the branches.

Difference 2: Leaf shape

The red maple leaf is composed of 5 to 9 pieces, and the cracks between each piece are relatively deep, and some can even be completely split; while the leaves of the Japanese maple are also composed of 5 to 9 pieces, but the most common one is 7 pieces, and the depth of the cracks between each piece is relatively small, and the largest crack is only 1/3 of the leaf. Moreover, although this is also one of their differences, it is difficult to distinguish without careful observation.

Difference 3: Leaf Color

The leaves of red maple are red from spring to autumn and fall off in winter; while the leaves of another plant, Acer palmatum, are green in spring and remain green in summer as in spring, only turning red in autumn and also fall off in winter.

Difference 4: Flowering and fruiting period

The flowering period of red maple is from April to May, and the fruiting period is October; while the other plant I have been mentioning above, the Japanese maple, has a flowering period of May and a fruiting period of September.

In fact, there is a little difference, but it is not too obvious. The overall shape of the Japanese maple is looser than that of the red maple, but this difference is not very significant.