In CA pistache is not invasive. Sweetgums are an issue there with their branch breakage from seed pods and the mess (altho in Sacto I used the seed pods in my flower beds to keep the cats away). If the OP is in Oakland they can go over to Stanford campus and look there as well. The issue with UCD arb is that there is boron in the water and thus not all trees are represented, but along the lake is a nice ginkgo and pistache for the fall palette. Nonetheless, if it were me I'd do - again - a more water-thrifty tree on either side that captures the evergreen as a background and do ginkgo and pistache or a Freeman maple rather than the northern water-requiring trees... Dan

Here are some pictures of a young October Glory red maple taken about three days ago. Here in Pensacola it tends to color up in early November. (I hope the Picasa links work for other people, too.) The tree may have been a bit redder last year, although this may just be optimistic remembering. This would be the tree's third year since planting as a five footer, and this is the third Fall that it's had good color. It's growing in a somewhat damp and mucky spot. Consistent with the hypothesis that these trees need moisture to redden in Fall, a younger October Glory nearby, planted about ten feet higher in elevation, in a somewhat sandy hole, isn't showing much color--at least not yet. A street or a drive lined both sides with these things might be nice.

I think that might be more of transplant shock, or too much water retention, if it is in potting mix, or most probably both. It may not produce much color this year. Are you going to plant it in the yard, or keep it in a pot? What kind of soil do you have it in?

Has it always been that way, or just recently? I guess since the tree is 100 yrs old you have no idea if it is a seedling or a cultivar (most likely just a seedling). The next question would be what kind of maple is it? There are many kinds of maples and they all don't have the beautiful fall colors. Norway and Silver maples come to mind as two with somewhat dull fall color (yellows and browns). The sugar maple is known to have the best fall color (blends of yellow, orange and red), and "red maples" are quite nice also (usually deeper red and less orange with no yellow). But having said that, all trees will vary in color. Especially seedlings, or trees grown from seed as opposed to grafted cultivars often have very different characteristics from one tree to another. I had a small sugar maple seedling that had fall color just like yours, mostly dull yellow and brown and the leaves stayed on well into winter. I finally removed it and planted a named cultivar (Green mountain) that looks alot better. I don't think the pine has much to do with it. If you could post a couple photos of the tree and close-ups of the leaves someone could identify it quite readily.