Crimson Maple

This modest-sized tree grows up to 52 meters (170.6 feet) tall and lives for centuries, with the oldest known specimen being around 621 years old. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has a knobbly, slanted trunk covered in delicate, waxy, brown-green speckled bark, and inside, the very hard wood is gray.

The tangled mess of branches are short and slender and are covered with handfuls of crispy, tiny, asymmetrical leaves with wavy edges. The leaves themselves are purple on the edges and slate at the center.

In early spring, it produces handfuls of large, red blossoms with V-shaped shaped petals. They fall easily and have a faint scent that smells like fermented fruit.

In late summer it forms large, bronze, tough-shelled seeds.

The roots are fine and grow in a large web, and overall the tree is sturdy, flexible, and difficult to uproot or break.

Forests of this species feature the trees packed together densely, with the space between them filled with thick undergrowth.