On the Outer Cape, the swamp maple (Acer rubrum) can often be found with its feet wet, growing vigorously in low spots like the Atlantic white cedar swamp in Wellfleet. In cultivation, it can be found just about anywhere, as it’s proven to be a tenacious native that can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions and locations. The red maple, as it is more commonly known, is pictured here blooming in the parking lot of Provincetown’s MacMillan Pier, a tough site for landscaping to thrive. After pollination, the drooping flowers of this female specimen will become samaras that helicopter downward to the asphalt, some perhaps hitching a ride on a nearby windshield to have a better shot at germination.
