How about Caddo sugar maple from SW Oklahoma ( simliar to big tooth but bigger). There's one variety of Caddo sugar maple called Dr John Pair for it's red fall color (developed in Kansas at Kansas State University). I had looked into campestre maple for myself as well and it seemed like it might do well in dry condition in alkaline soil. I'd tell you to experiment with shantung maple and see how it goes at your location for the fun of it.

I forget if you're in ABQ or further south (obviously from the zone 7, you're not in SFe or Taos). I don't see why some of these wouldn't work for you. I've seen A. griseum, A. campestre and A. truncatum doing well here in full sun, with supplemental irrigation of course (maples do tend to love their water). You didn't mention whether you have sites that can give your trees shade for part of the day; that would be a way to play it safe. Be aware that A. griseum and A. campestre are relatively slow. I also like the idea of the Caddo maple and the A. grandidentatum.

lou and cacau,

thanks!!, I looked at some photos of the Caddo sugar maple, but it's too big for the spot I have in mind. The A. truncatum also seems to grow fast and very large.
The A. griseum and A. campestre appear to be slow and smaller, perfect for me!!.
Unfortunately, they will be exposed to full sun, with no shade. Watering is not an issue, I can provide as much water as they may need.
Should I try them, specially the A. griseum!.
Thanks

osprey

Hi Osprey,

Field Maple might succeed, but there are other Mediterranean maples which might be even better choices, such as Acer monspessulanum, A. obtusifolium, A. sempervirens, A. syriacum.

Resin

A. Truncatum doesn't get "very large". It may reach 35x35' over time. The largest that I know of in USA is 35 feet by 35 feet and is 100 years old. They seem to grow fast at first then slow down.

Here's pictures of my 'Fire Dragon' shantung maple

{{gwi:340439}} - red fall color every year (red color may vary depending on soil type and climate)

Summer growth that I can't get enough of -

{{gwi:340438}}

I would also suggest Mediterranean maples as these are adapted to hot and dry summer conditions and probably also some comparatively similar soils to yours. A. obtusifolium may be the most striking of these.

Thanks!!.
I may have a perferct spot for the A. truncatum, I think I'll give it a try.
Some Mediterranean maples have nive leaves, but I really want to try the A. campestre. It reminds me of the two maples growing right outside the appartment where I used to live in Germany!!
A. obtusifolium, very nice. Too many trees, and so little room for them. I just want them all!!

osprey

ospreynn,

I was searching for something on the gardenweb and came across your question that you asked last April. Although it was quite a while ago that you presented your question, I thought I might be of some help to you.

Some of the responses you got mentioned to try a Mediterranean Maple. Being the Virgo that I am, I'm pretty specific. Technically, the only place in the United States with a Mediterranean climate is in California. A trait that differs from a Mediterranean and the desert or high desert, depending on where in NM you are, is a touch of humidity and a bit more rainfall. So, I would suggest that you look into a maple that evolved in a climate closer to yours such as the Great Basin.

Basically, the Great Basin is what is left after the prehistoric Lake Bountiful drained and left a desert and the Great Salt Lake. The area is from the Western slop of the Rockies in Utah west to the Sierra's in Nevada. Then up into Southern Idaho and Southwestern Wyoming all the way down into Arizona and New Mexico.

I live in Missouri now. But, I received my undergrad in Ornamental Horticulture at Utah State University. We worked a lot with natives and how much more successful they are in a landscape than those that are introduced.

Having said that, I am completely biased toward Bigtooth. We did a lot of work out there with it. Dr Larry Rupp is involved in a project of collecting in nature and propagating at USU these small trees. He is selecting for various fall colors. At the demonstration farm up there he has a row of yellow, one of orange, red and even a vibrant maroon; close to the A. truncatum 'Fire Dragon' that lou_midlothian showed you. It's amazing. But, that variety over the others has an aphid attraction that Larry was trying to weed out. I love the tree for the rootstock especially. It can handle the high pH, salt and low water. Basically, it grows as fast as you water it. The more you water it, the faster it grows. If you decide not to water it, it just slows down its growth. But, it does not thirst. It's amazing. Also, it can be trained as a single trunk or a multi. Personally, I like the multi. It comes out looking a lot like A. ginnala. The single looks like a smaller Sugar, saccharum. I'd suggest ginnala to you over any other tree based on your description of the site. But, it just doesn't like the heat that you get.

At Utah State, there are several A. griseum's on the North end of the Geology building. They look amazing! In fact, that's where I fell in love with them. We expect to get married next summer :). On the Northwest side of Old Main there is a hybrid. A. truncatum x platanoides. It has the leaf of platanoides and the seed of truncatum. It thrives as well. However, it is not nearly as beautiful as truncatum alone. So, I'd say both will do well in your area.
You also mentioned Silver, A. saccharinum. That's a tough old bird. We have them here in Springfield, Missouri everywhere. I have four in my yard alone. They have prolific volunteers. They will survive about anywhere. Although they don't need a lot of water, they will tap what's there, therefore preventing competitors from getting much. They prefer it a bit acidic like most in the Sugar group. I wouldn't suggest this where you live. There are three strikes right there: weeds, water and pH.

The Caddo might be ok for you. But, if OK and KS are anything like their neighbor, Missouri, it's a bit more humid than NM. Therefore, it might not perform as well there as it does out here.

Cacu mentioned A. campestre. Utah State also has several of these on the North end of the ROTC building. They are problem and pest-free. Perfect specimens. They will do extremely well in your area. They can handle almost any soil condition from acidic to alkaline; from full sun to shade. They don't like wet feet. But, somehow I doubt that's much of a problem in NM. They like dry, well-drained soil and can handle compacted soil as well. It sounds a lot like the NM soil I witnessed when I took Interstate 40 from Southern California to Missouri. In England, they use these as large hedges; somewhat like we would do with Boxwood. Although they are not really ornamental, they are graceful; extremely graceful. Check this out: the truncatum was very likely what you lived with in Germany. Very likely. They are native to Europe.

To sum it up, I would suggest truncatum, 'Fire Dragon' if you can get it. Absolutely campestre. Also, griseum is extremely tolerant of soils and climate. You can't go wrong there. All of these trees are rather medium-sized trees with slow growth rates. The area you mentioned seems rather small. So, these will work for now. Eventually, however, they might outgrow the area.

You are pretty limited out there. That's one of the main reasons that I moved to Utah State. I wanted to learn how to be successful in a stressed environment. I figured I'd learn more that way. I look up to you for taking this challenge on.

So, it's been about eight months since you posted your question. What did you decide to do? And, how is it performing? I'm very curious. Thanks.

EricPaul