Somerset
Red Maple
The Red Maple falls into the following type(s):
Shade Trees
Mature Height:
The Red Maple grows to be 40' - 60' feet in height.
Mature Spread:
The Red Maple has a spread of about 40' at full maturity.
Growth Rate:
This tree grows at a medium to fast growth rate. [More about this.]
Sun:
This maple does well in full sun, partial shade.
Soil:
The Red Maple grows in acidic, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silty loam,
well drained, wet, clay soils.
Moisture:
Prefers wet soil conditions. Slight drought tolerance.
Shape:
This maple has oval, rounded, upright or erect shape.
Leaves:
The leaves of this tree are approximately 2 to 6 inches across with 3
roughly triangular lobes. Leaves are always opposite each other on the
twigs.
Flower Color:
The dense red or sometimes yellow clusters of small flowers are a dependable
harbinger of spring.
Bloom Time:
Winter to spring..
Fruit Description:
This tree produces twin seeds bound at their tips to a long, drooping
stem. Attached to the seeds are wings up to 1 inch long and 1/4 inch wide.
The seeds ripen in late spring instead of fall like other Maple trees.
Attributes:
The Red Maple is one of the best named of all trees. There is something
red in all seasons - buds in winter, flowers in spring, leafstalks in
summer and brilliant foliage in autumn. This pageant of color, along with
the tree's relatively fast growth and tolerance to a wide range of soils,
makes it a widely planted favorite.
Description:
Brings color to your landscape year-round. Green stems turn red in winter,
new leaves are red-tinged, turning to green. Fall color is deep red or
yellow. Flowers are also red. Fast growing and tolerant of many soils.
Grows to 40' to 60', 40' spread. (zones 3-9)
Wildlife Value:
The fruits (samaras) provide food for many kinds of rodents, such as squirrels.
Rabbits and deer eat the tender shoots and leaves of red maples.
History/Lore/Use:
The Red Maple has a lot of claims to fame, including the greatest north-south
range of any tree species living entirely in the eastern forests. (Newfoundland
to southern Florida).
It is also the state tree of Rhode Island. No one seems to know the whole
story of why it was selected by the citizens of this smallest of states.
In the 1890's a Rhode Island school commissioner gave students a list
of trees and asked them to vote on their favorite.Red Maple won, but it
was not until 1964 that it was officially adopted as the state tree -
making Rhode Island one of last states in the nation to proclaim its tree.
The selection may have been because Rhode Island is from the Dutch, meaning
"red island." Since the state bird is the Rhode Island red hen,
it makes sense that the tree would be one noted for red. The nation's
largest Red Maple lies far to the south of Rhode Island in Great Smokey
Mountains National Park.
This tree was declared champion in 1997 by American Forests and is listed
in the National Register of Big Trees as being 141 feet tall and just
over 7 feet in diameter at 4-1/2 feet above ground.
Crimson King Maple
A NORWAY MAPLE whose leaves are dark, glistening crimson throughout the spring and summer is horticultural news that opens all manner of opportunities for new landscaping effects.
The form known as Schwedler maple has made
an effort toward this rewarding goal, but its red changes to green with
the arrival of summer.
Finally, along comes the postwar variety Crimson King, which really
fills the bill. As a result it is making headlines such as no other
new tree has achieved in years.
Crimson King, whose full official name is Acer platanoides Schwedleri nigra, is a true Norway in form, hardiness and ease of culture, All it needs to develop its full beauty is reasonably good soil and drainage, sunlight, and ample space to grow tall and broad.
The shade it casts during the warm months is deep and refreshing, while proper shaping during its nursery years practically guarantees that no branch will be low enough to get in anyone's way.
As for possible trouble with plant insect pests or diseases-well, there is no more reason to anticipate it than with any other form of Norway.So much for practical considerations. Now let's look at some of the ways of utilizing Crimson King's unusual display assets to best advantage.
Dogmatic, take-it-or-else rules for home-grounds landscaping can be tricky business, for the simple reason that there are always some properties which nullify them by unalterable peculiarities of size, topography, surroundings or perhaps the location or architectural style of the house itself.
As a general principle, however, it is well to remember that any sizable tree of exceptionally striking color can easily be given too great prominence, with the result that it ruins the harmony of the rest of the landscaping and actually dominates the whole place.
A rather frequent example of such an occurrence is that single big blue spruce growing in the middle of a small front lawn and fairly shouting at every passerby.