Maplesare the premier trees for providing shade and dramatic fall color.
But if you think maples are only showy for their leaves, think again.
Some types, such as the paperbark maple and coral barkJapanese maple, display intriguing branch color and texture.
Credit: Adam Albright
Other species, such as the red maple, display brightly colored flower clusters.
Most maples succeed in a wide soil pH range but slightly acidic soil is best.
Maples come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.
Credit: Adam Albright
They are tall or low-growing, wide-spreading or narrow and columnar, round, or mounded.
The growth rate also varies depending on the species.
Adapt the form and size of the maple you plant to the landscape use.
Several maples in a row make good hedges or privacy screens.
Dwarf varieties are suitable container plants.
The introduced Norway maple and Amur maple are invasive.
Seventeen states have declared Norway maple as an invasive species.
Dig a planting hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep.
Position the tree in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.
Water the newly planted tree regularly during the first year.
Purchase your maple from a reputable local nursery that specializes in varieties well-suited to your area.
Light
Generally, maples grow best in a planting site withfull sunor part shade.
A few species, such as silver maple, thrive in moist to wet soil.
The pH should bebetween 5.0 and 7.0.
In alkaline soil, the trees are more prone to suffer nutrient deficiency.
Covering the root zone with a2-inch-thick layer of mulchprevents soil moisture loss.
Some established maples tolerate moderate drought.
The same applies to heat-tolerance.
Several Japanese maple varieties have been bred especially for hot climates, preferably hot and arid.
Young trees benefit from the system of aslow-release shrub and tree fertilizerin the spring.
Japanese maples have their ownspecific pruning requirements.
All other maples should be pruned in mid- to late summer.
This is not only messy but makes it vulnerable to pests and diseases.
Keep in mind that container plants require more frequent watering and fertilization than plants in the landscape.
Although the tree is winter-hardy in cold climates, containers expose the roots to the cold.
Another option is to wrap the container with bubble wrap.
Not all maple species are equally susceptible to pests, diseases, and other problems.
Remove all the leaves from the lower portion of the cutting.
Insert the cutting 2 inches deep into the potting medium.
Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag or a milk jug with the bottom cut out.
Credit: Adam Albright
Keep the cutting evenly moist and out of direct sunlight.
Its stems bear reddish tones in winter.
It grows 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide.
They turn shades of yellow in fall.
It grows 8 feet tall and wide.
It grows 15 feet tall and wide.
It grows only 12 feet tall and wide.
It grows 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide.
It grows 10 feet tall and wide.
Zones 6-8
‘Higasayama’ Japanese Maple
This variety ofAcer palmatumbears green leaves marked in pink and white.
They turn shades of gold in fall.
The tree grows 15 feet tall and wide.
It bears deeply lobed, almost feathery leaves that turn yellow, red, and orange in fall.
It grows 10 feet tall and wide.
Zones 5-8
Golden Full-Moon Maple
‘Aureum’ is a cultivar of the Japanese mapleAcer shirasawanum.
It produces large, pleated leaves that are tinted gold and perfect for adding light to a shady spot.
It grows 20 feet tall and wide.
It grows 30 feet tall and wide.
Zones 4-8
Red Maple
Acer rubrumhas earned its name for its bright red autumn color.
It’s native to North America and grows 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide.
Zones 3-9
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharumis among the easiest to grow of all maples.
The tree, which is native to North America, is also called hard maple.
It grows 70 feet tall.
Popular cultivars include Green Mountain, Apollo, and Autumn Fest.
It grows 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide.
It grows 20 feet tall and wide.
If possible, slip it out of its growing container and look at the root system.
If the roots are circling around the outside of the soil ball, choose a different plant.
Also, examine the branch structure.
A worthy maple features a defined central branch growing upward along with small side branches.
The feeder roots of many maples are shallow and extend way beyond the canopy of the tree.
