noun
maple; maple tree
Refers to maple trees of the genus Acer, including Japanese maple varieties. Common in both everyday and botanical contexts.
秋になると、楓の葉が赤く色づく。
In autumn, the maple leaves turn red.
庭に小さな楓を植えた。
I planted a small maple tree in the garden.
Rare alternative kanji spelling; not commonly used.
Often used interchangeably with 楓, but 紅葉 can also refer specifically to the autumn leaves or the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) with deeply lobed leaves.
The word かえで is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 楓 is a phono-semantic compound with 木 (tree) and 風 (wind), possibly referring to the sound of wind through maple leaves.