Red maple is very nice, but much slower growing than silver maple. Instead of that, I would check out some of the Freeman maples, which are hybrids between red and silver. They have the advantages of both, and not many of the disadvantages of silver maple. Fast growing, sturdy, good to excellent fall color. I have a couple of these and they're great trees.

The variety with the trade name 'Autumn Blaze' known botanically as Acer x freemanii 'Jeffsred' is pretty widely available. Autumn Blaze is said to do well in the South and color up well even in warm climates.

Here is a link that might be useful: Autumn Blaze info from Monrovia Nursery

I was thinking of Freeman maple also, if there is not a pathogenic or other condition on the site which will interfere with another maple.

Since the cultivar is 'Jeffersred' the Autumn Blaze name is not enclosed in single quotes. It is instead, as you say a registered trademark ("trade name"), used to sell 'Jeffersred'.

If the silver maple was fully developed there is room for an oak, if you would rather have one of those. And there are many kinds, not all of them large-growing. Of course, not all kinds grow everywhere.

.....and too, room for a large-growing tree is an often misunderstood concept. Not saying this to you in particular, Ash, but large-growing trees often fit better into small yards than do those ornamental trees which, by reason of their size, crown out at a much lower height above grade. A large-growing shade tree, once mature, only takes up as much lateral space as the size of its trunk.

+oM

Thanks for the tips! I have another question...After we remove the stump, is it possible to plant near the same spot? Or will the roots make that impossible?

This is a pic of the dying tree

Ash, the answer to your question depends on a couple things, mainly how much of the woody material got removed with the stump, and how close is "close" to the same location. Now in nature, new trees arise near, and sometimes right on top of dead ones, but that's a different scenario. Nature is in no hurry, we usually are.

So if a large amount of the "stump chips" are removed with the stump grinding, and replaced with good topsoil, you can indeed plant virtually in the same place. What might happen is that the fungi that decompose any remaining woody material will temporarily use up most of the nitrogen in the vicinity of the old tree. You will know this is happening if your new tree becomes "chlorotic", which means it has yellowish foliage (For a tree that should normally have green leaves). But this is easily remedied by placing some fertilizer containing nitrogen-most do-over the top of the soil in the area of the old tree replacement/new tree planting.

Does this make sense? I feel like it is taking too many words to explain something that's not really all that complex! Oh and BTW, yes, your present tree is ready to be made into firewood if you still had any doubts!

+oM

Tree was dinky, for the species, as though the location was never really right for it. Probably the climate. If you want to match the size you will definitely want a small-growing tree.

My initial reaction to the OP was surprise at a SM even existing down thataway. I know rubrum makes it all the way down to Florida, but somehow, saccharinum surprises me more.

+oM

Thanks again! I will probably put the new tree in a different location...perhaps on the other side of the swing set to avoid any issues with the old tree location. For the past two winters we have had snow on the ground which is extremely rare and the past two summers have been unbearably hot. It has killed off A LOT of trees and plants in the area.

Right Ash..weird seems to be the new norrmal when it comes to weather!

Come on back sometime and update us all.

+oM