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Sunset maple?

16 years ago

I am interested in planting a couple maples in my back yard that do not grow very large, and most importantly, have outstanding red/orange fall colors. I have read about the sunset maple, but it is suppost to grow to 60 feet and have large surface roots. Do you maple tree experts have any other maple variety suggestions? Thank you for your replies.

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Comments (9)

srgbv
16 years ago
Consider Sun Valley red maple, which gets to about 35', and is a male plant, so is seedless.
mrklehm
Original Author
16 years ago
Dear srgbv - Thank you for the recommendations - these look very good. Now if I could just find a few places that sell them. So far I just found one on the internet. Regards.
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Embothrium
16 years ago
Beware of commercial (and other) descriptions depicting red maple cultivars (and cultivars of other large-growing species) growing only 35 ft. tall. Such figures will not be based on fully developed specimens.

If you do not want the shade and roots of a large maple avoid red maple, sugar maple, Norway maple, silver maple, Freeman maple (some cultivars of this are sold as red maples by mistake), sycamore maple (some slow-growing, colored foliage forms of this last one are currently fairly prevalent in nurseries carrying such items - 'Esk Sunset' (syn. 'Eskimo Sunset') for instance...
maplesinark
16 years ago
How about a "Fire Dragon Shantung Maple". Small vigorous tree. This is a new tree, and the owner is currently willing to ship them. Should be good for zone 5. Max to about 35' and nice fall color even in Texas.

http://www.metromaples.com/generic0.html
conifers
16 years ago
That 'Fire Dragon' is perfect for the midwest/chicago.

I ordered one.

Those interested in grafting it, it grafts of course to Acer truncatum but also to: Acer pictum and Acer platanoides. Who would have guessed Norway Maple. Got it right from the owner.

Dax
Embothrium
16 years ago
>Who would have guessed Norway MapleBotanically Acer truncatum belongs to Section Platanoidea, as do AA. campestre, cappadocicum, longipes, miyabei, pictum, platanoides and tenellum.
averbisadverbera
16 years ago
RE: Small vigorous tree. This is a new tree, and the owner is currently willing to ship them. Should be good for zone 5. Max to about 35' and nice fall color even in Texas.

Might be too early to call it a small vigorous tree and predict its ultimate height. Couldnt have been around too long....
maplesinark
16 years ago
RE: Small vigorous tree. This is a new tree, and the owner is currently willing to ship them. Should be good for zone 5. Max to about 35' and nice fall color even in Texas.

RE:Might be too early to call it a small vigorous tree and predict its ultimate height. Couldnt have been around too long....

True there is no CERTAINTY, however it grows/behaves like the unpatented wild type parent, therefore it is very reasonable to believe that it will end up any different. It's a fall color variant, producing more anthocyanin AFTER growth has stopped. Not likely to have allot of impact on growth. JMHO
conifers
16 years ago
Cool Ron. Thanks.

Dax

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