Part of the Aceraceae, or maple, family, it can do well as a shade tree. It grows 100 to 120 feet high in the wild and 40 to 60 feet in cultivation. Leaves are lobed and serrated, turning red or green-yellow during the fall season. It's got 1-to-1.5 inch long samaras. The red maple blooms scarlet around March and April. The basic Misunderstanding: