Swamp maple is the same thing as red maple. Red maple is considered a wetlands species because at least 50% of the time it grows in hydric soils. If someone actually identifies a red maple as a "swamp" maple it likely means that it was actually harvested from a swamp. This means it was growing under stress; its growth rate was slow so the annual rings should be thin and the wood more dense. It is also likely to be full of knots and burls.
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