Magnificent maples

Maples are one of the most common tree requests at garden centres every spring.

Many customers know exactly what they want and specifically ask for Autumn Blaze. (The full botanical name for the Autumn Blaze Maple is Acer x freemanii Jeffersred.)

A hybrid between red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum), Autumn Blaze was discovered by Ohio nurseryman Glenn Jeffers in the late-1960s. Autumn Blaze combines the fast growth and drought-tolerance of the silver maple with the vibrant scarlet-red colour of the red maple. The iconic foliage is deeply cut with five pointed lobes.

The exceptional name recognition of the Autumn Blaze Maple often makes it the default choice for homeowners seeking brilliant-red fall colouring. But there are several other maple cultivars with outstanding red fall colour worth considering. There are also important things to know about maple trees.

Sheldon Falk operates Falk Nurseries in New Bothwell together with his son Ryan. He trials numerous species of trees at his 15-acre home property near Grunthal and has many favourites, but he has planted maple cultivars in clear view of every window of his house. “Autumn Blaze stands alone with its fall colour,” says Falk. Several Autumn Blaze trees line the long driveway leading to his spacious, treed property.

Nevertheless, at times some of his maple trees have struggled and had to be replaced. “Autumn Blaze requires some north and west wind protection and does not do well in open spaces,” says Falk. A protected area such as a backyard offers the benefit of a micro-climate, but aside from a sheltered, full-sun location, says Falk, there are other key considerations.

Fond of sandy soil

“High pH in clay soil is the main concern,” says Falk. “Most maple trees prefer sandy soil.” Falk has that in spades. Much of the soil in the Grunthal and New Bothwell area is a silky, sandy loam which offers excellent drainage and aeration.

“The pH on my property is 7.6 so it’s good for most of the maple species I grow,” says Falk. “Autumn Blaze can tolerate moderately alkaline soils but not extremes. Winnipeg’s soil pH is slightly to moderately alkaline, usually in the range of about 7.8 to 8.2.”

A well-drained planting location is essential, says Falk. “Autumn Blaze does not tolerate soggy soil. Plant it on a bit of a mound, not on level ground and never in a low spot on your property, because if water pools around Autumn Blaze in the fall, it’s done.” Falk also says it is important to avoid excessive watering in September and October. “If Autumn Blaze stays wet, it won’t harden off (enter dormancy) in time for winter.”

Autumn Blaze is a fast grower with minimal to no seed production. It grows to a height of 12.2 metres and a width of 7.62 to 9.1 metres. Tree wrap protects young Autumn Blaze maples from winter sun-scald and frost cracks. Its life expectancy is 50 to 60 years. The desired brilliant-red foliage colour emerges from late-September to mid-October.

But can Falk or his son Ryan interest you in a maple other than Autumn Blaze? How about the sugar maple (Acer saccharum) which is considered Canada’s national tree. Sugar maples are readily available, says Falk. Unity, Inferno and Lord Selkirk are three selections with exceptional winter-hardiness and are part of a long-term, significant selection program at Jeffries Nursery in Portage la Prairie. The large, five-lobed leaves with their inflorescent orange-red fall colour make sugar maple a personal favourite of Sheldon and Ryan Falk. Developed by Jeffries Nurseries, Lord Selkirk sugar maple was named in honour of the 200th anniversary of the Selkirk Settlement.

Unity, Inferno and Lord Selkirk sugar maple trees each grow to a height of around 12.2 metres and a width of six to nine metres.

Sugar maples

Sugar maples prefer rich, well-drained soil and a sheltered, full-sun location. “Patience is required,” says Falk. “Sugar maples are long-lived trees (50 to 80 years) but they are not fast-growing trees. Maintaining even moisture is important. Make sure soil is not too wet or too dry.”

Royal Crown Amur Maple (Acer ginnala) is also a beauty. An alkali-resistant selection of Amur maple from research done at the University of Manitoba, Royal Crown is well-suited to handle our high pH clay soils. Hardy to Zone 2B, it is extremely cold-tolerant. The natural form is a multi-stem clump that grows to 6.1 metres tall and 4.6 metres wide.

But what sets Royal Crown Amur Maple apart, too, is the narrow shape and unique colour of its three-lobed leaves. The green foliage transitions to a striking burgundy-red in fall. In an extended fall season, the colour can brighten for a brief time to a luminescent red just before the leaves fall.

Regal Celebration Freeman Maple offers outstanding red colour in late-September however it is not well-suited to high pH soils (it prefers soil pH of less than 7.5). “We have really slowed production of this cultivar due to its slow growth and our findings that it is not as chlorosis-resistant as we first thought,” says Wilbert Ronald, Jeffries Nurseries. New selections of Freeman cultivars are currently being developed at Jeffries Nursery. They exhibit stunning red fall colour and should be available in three or four years time.

A handsome variety is Deborah Norway Maple (Acer platanoides), a collector tree that requires a sheltered, well-drained location. It has glossy burgundy spring colouring followed by dark-green summer foliage. It is hardy to Zone 3B and is a vigorous grower (12.2 metres tall at maturity).

A strong features of the Norway maple (Acer platanoides), says Falk, is that it is not fussy about soil. “Higher pH is not an issue,” he says. “Rather, hardiness is the Norway maple’s Achilles heel. The greatest challenge with Norway maples is cracking of the lower stem near the snow line on the south side of the tree and occasionally tip kill in the branches.”

To reduce this risk, Falk suggests growing Norway maples with sod near the stem. “I wouldn’t suggest this for Amur maple, silver maple or Manitoba maple trees,” says Falk. “But for a Norway maple tree, or a maple tree that is borderline hardy, having some sod or grass growing close to the stem helps to wick up excess moisture. Also, growing the tree on a slightly mounded area can make a positive difference. But take care to not use a weed-whacker which can cause injury to the tree and damage its vascular system.”

Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo), commonly known as Boxelder, is a native tree species found throughout southern Manitoba. It has bright-yellow fall colour and a mature height of 15.2 metres.

“After years of being overlooked, there are now several selections with improvements for structure, growth rate and fall colour with hues of burgundy and orange-red. It holds the best potential for hardiness and soil-tolerance of all the maples,” says Falk.

Look also for Sensation Manitoba Maple. Structurally pleasing and seedless, the compound foliage emerges copper-burgundy in spring, then turns green in summer, and then back to copper-burgundy in fall. Hardy to Zone 2B, it has a fast growth rate (nine metres tall and wide).

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