Acer rubrum
Also cognize as the scarlet or swamp maple , the red maple has a special position in my heart .
It ’s the first plant that I could ever identify , andAcer rubrumwas the first botanical name that I ever learn . It mark the root of my horticultural career , so writing a guidebook about it now … it ’s all follow full lap .
And what a plant , in truth ! As an ornamental human dynamo , the cherry maple is easy one of my preferred plant .
‘October Glory’
The fishy foliage , astonishing fall color , and unparalleled seed pods all combine to make this a tree I love to see , whether it ’s sitting out in nature or set in somebody ’s grand .
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A. rubrumis one of the most pop cosmetic shade tree in the United States , so we thought it best to scald up a little guide for all of you out there who might be interested in plant it .
By the sentence you ’re through reading it , you ’ll be ready to produce these incredible plant for yourself !
Here ’s what ’s come :
What You’ll Learn
Cultivation and History
Despite the maple ’s common association with Canada , A. rubrumalso turn abundantly in the United States .
well cultivated in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9 , red maples grow as far northward as Newfoundland and as far to the south as Florida . They can even be found as far west as eastern Texas !
According to theForest Inventory and Analysis(FIA ) timberland census conducted by members of the US Forest Service in 2002 , this metal money ofAceris the most common tree diagram happen in northerly timber in the US of A.
To put this prolific distribution into visual linear perspective : if the US was an teen face and cerise maple trees were acne , then the entire top half of the continent ’s countenance wouldreallyneed some hickey cream .
Eastern Native American tribe were quick to utilize the red-faced maple for both intellectual nourishment and medicine . Although not as sirup - y asthe sugar maple – A. rubrumyields about half as much sap asA. saccharum – it was still heavily harvested for that seraphic , sticky goodness .
Medicinally , the tree diagram was used as a pain reliever , eyewash , and a way of treating beehive . Additionally , the inner barque add up in handy as a path of treating coughing and diarrhea .
As European settler made their way to North America , they take in many of the natives ’ employ for ruby-red maple , along with usingA. rubrumto make ink and dyes .
They must have liked it enough to institutionalize it back home – in 1656 , the tree was introduced to the United Kingdom , where it has since become a democratic planting for yards and parks .
Nowadays , red maple is cultivated for its urban tolerance and striking foliage , the latter of which provide impenetrable shade and offer a beautiful autumnal show once the leaf start to change color .
Ecologically , it is a food for thought source for a wide variety of animals that live within its native mountain range . And with over a hundred cultivars , the red maple has create an integral mini - industry for ornamental plant breeders .
The wood ofA. rubrumis used for mush in papermaking , as well as make furniture and wooden kitchen utensils . It also makes for a rather finebonsai , believe it or not .
Propagation
Propagating a flushed maple is best done with seeds , cuttings , or via transplanting .
From Seed
cherry-red maple seeds are house in propellor - work seminal fluid cod known as samaras .
These samaras begin out red and immature , but become tan as they mature in spring or early summer . Once they reach a dry - looking tanness or detach from the tree , the samaras can be harvest .
To reveal the seeds within , simply peel back the samara ’s flaky outside . To further substantiate ripeness , check that the seeds have turn cerise , yellow , or dark-brown .
count on the cultivar ofA. rubrum , the harvested seeds may or may not need stratification .
If the variety that you ’re go with necessitates it , sow in the seeded player a quarter - inch to a full column inch deep in moist sand , and refrigerate at 33 to 39 ° F for 60 to 90 days until they germinate .
Next , prepare a patch of well - draining and more or less acidic soil somewhere in your garden . Sow 15 to 30 seeds per straight foot , all sow in a tail - inch to a full column inch recondite .
Keep the soil around the seeds moist from the clip when they sprout until they become established .
If you wish to get going your seeds indoors , prep a well - draining , 1020 - sized plastic seed tray by satiate it with a grow medium that ’s 50 percent bog moss peat moss and 50 percentage perlite . inseminate each seed a quarter - column inch to a full inch cryptic .
Keep the substrate moist throughout the whole process .
When the indoor seedlings have a comme il faut antecedent system – test this by giving the seedling a soft jerk and checking for give – you may start hardening them off by bequeath them outside for 30 to 60 minute one day , then adding that duration every day until they can support a full day ’s exposure .
From Cuttings
With a sterilized tongue , take a six- to eight - inch - foresightful semi - hardwood cutting in midsummer to former evenfall .
Defoliate the bottom half of the slip . Dip the de - riffle end into a root hormone , such as this IBA pulverisation sold by Bonide , uncommitted from Arbico Organics .
Bonide Bontone II Rooting Hormone
Stick the cutting cut - end - down into a well - draining , 1020 - sized shaping seed tray that ’s fill with a 50/50 mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite .
Keep the produce medium moist and place it in an area that ’s well - unhorse , near an adjacent , sun - facing windowpane .
When the cutting has developed an spare set or two of leaves , it ’s time to set about hardening it off .
On a natural spring daytime , begin to harden off rooted cuttings by bringing them outside for 30 to 60 moment and then bring them back deep down . Add another 30 to 60 moment each day until the cuttings can withstand an entire daytime ’s picture .
At this point , they ’re quick to be transplanted .
Via Transplanting
On an former saltation or fall mean solar day , groom a patch of well - draining and more or less acidulent soil for every ruby maple you plan to transpose . These can be nursery specimen , either in containers or balled and burlapped , or cuttings you ’ve rooted yourself .
You ’ll require to space them out as wide as you ’d carry them to spread at maturity date so their root word systems and/or branches do n’t bunk into strong-arm structures or other plants . For a concrete measurement , 50 ft of spacing is a safe bet .
Dig holes that are approximately the depth and width of the transplants ’ root scheme . Place the transplantation in the holes and backfill with adjacent , dug - out soil .
Water them in , and keep the soil around the transplants moist until they become give .
How to Grow
A. rubrumis one sturdy client , and this species can acquire in a variety of different conditions .
But for peak health , esthetics , and overall red maple - cape , it ’s significant to give these plants the conditions that they want , not just what they can tolerate .
Climate and Exposure Needs
These plants demand to be grown in USDA Hardiness zone 3 to 9 so as to thrive . Their moderate heat tolerance give them a stage up in condition of where it can survive . They also involve full Dominicus or fond shadowiness exposure to mature optimally .
Their tolerance for urban conditions make them idealistic street Tree , as well as plantings in the suburbs .
Soil Needs
As long as the filth is well - draining , a red maple can make do with many dissimilar soil texture . But open its power to hang out in swamp – hence the “ swamp maple ” nickname – it can really deal soil intensity .
It can also allow grunge crush , so do n’t worry about call for super aerated soil or anything . high-pitched soil fertility will only help a crimson maple to get salubrious and strong , so avoid devoid filth if at all possible .
If you ’ve been wondering about the slenderly acidic to impersonal soil recommendation note earlier , it ’s because red maples are notorious for suffering manganese deficiencies in alkaline soils . Therefore , the idealistic soil pH to hit for is 5.0 to 7.0 .
Water and Fertilizer Needs
These plant life opt that their soil is kept moist . But , given that they can tolerate moderate drouth once install , occasional less - than - constantly - moist conditions are acceptable – such as allow the top inch or two of soil to dry before irrigating .
flushed maples embed as street Tree have increased water needs , thanks to how compacted their roots incline to become when they uprise beside or beneath pavement .
Fertilizer - wise , it would be smart to do work a few inch ofcompostor well - rot manure into the soil above the root zone every springiness .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
One affair that ’s important to know about maple is how shallow their root systems are .
Oftentimes , the surfacemost radical will protrude out of the filth , leaving them vulnerable to structural equipment casualty . These exposed roots , combine with the shade cast by the canopy , make it pretty elusive to uprise aesthetic turf beneathA. rubrumtrees .
bestow three to four inches of mulch beneath the canopy solves many of these issues . It protects the roots , economize soil moisture , and cover what would otherwise be grassless ground .
Red maple roots will also gird the tree diagram on affair , essentially choke out the automobile trunk and making it hard for nutrients and water to locomote up to the farewell .
These air roots can be found around the root solar flare , and can be snipped if they begin to encircle the proboscis .
To maintain their high and soused arise drug abuse , lowermost branch should be prune when they start to sag , during your annual primary pruning session .
In the first couple years of growth , wield a secure primal loss leader by pruning away any competing trunks .
In plus , prune away any branch growing upward at acuate angle – they should ideally be growing outwards at around a 90 degree angle from the bole .
For the more involved tree - shaping sessions of pruning , you actually should n’t snip aright before that spring flush of ontogeny like you would with other plant , because maple lesion bleed sap very profusely .
This is expectant for harvesting syrup , but less so for promoting vigorous spring development . ForA. rubrum , former summer or early fall pruning is better .
Find more tips on pruning maple tree here .
The soft wood ofA. rubrumis prostrate to damage from storm or mechanically skillful impact , more so than the hardwood maples .
In accession to reducing esthetics and promoting decay , damage structures are prime entry points for pests and pathogens . For shoring up these watery data link , broken - off branches and other injure tissues can be pruned whenever you happen to see them .
Volunteer plants will sprout from self - sown seed throughout the spring and summer , so any time you notice seedlings emerging where they do n’t belong , give ’em a good yank .
A. rubrumalso tend to lose its leaves in either September or October , so be sure tobreak out the rakeorleaf bloweraround that time !
If the fallen foliage is from a healthy tree that ’s free of pests and diseases , feel gratuitous toshred the leaves for function as a mulch !
Cultivars to Select
The received species of red maple is nothing to sneeze at . However , cultivars have been breed entirely for exhibit a bright red awesomeness in the fall , along with some other neat feature that may not be find in a plain ol’A. rubrum .
spread over all of the available red maple cultivar is well beyond the scope of this guide , but here are a few particularly notable one :
Bowhall
Red maple are known for their rounded cast , so ‘ Bowhall ’ really breaks the mold with a narrow , almost columnar grow habit .
gain a height of 40 metrical unit and a width of 15 feet , this guy will meet nicely where girthier varieties wo n’t . Along with red nightfall foliage , it ’s been noted to haveyellow - orange leaf spook in autumn , which all flow together in a slope of fiery color .
Brandywine
Reaching a respective height and cattle farm of 50 human foot and 40 foot at maturity , ‘ Brandywine ’ is a middling columnar mixture that has excellent leafhopper resistance .
‘ Brandywine ’
With a long - persistent , reddish fall semblance that borders on purpleness as the season progresses , this male cultivar wo n’t drop any pesky samaras that could make crimson maples to spud up where they ’re not welcome .
Nature Hills Nurseryhas ‘ Brandywine ’ trees in # 15 or # 25 container available for leverage .
October Glory
With a rounded , egg - shape form , and a stature and spread of 40 to 50 feet , ‘ October nimbus ’ is named for the month when this tree display its fall color , and the spectacular fashion with which it does so .
This cultivar holds onto its glossy light-green leave until moderately late in the time of year , and come October it explodes with various sunglasses of fiery color , ranging from orange - red to kvetch ’ ol red to dark red .
‘ October Glory ’
To bribe an ‘ October Glory ’ organ transplant in your choice of sizing between one to two and six to seven foundation , visitFast Growing Trees .
Red Sunset
Also get it on as ‘ Franksred , ’ Red Sunset ® produce to be 50 foot tall and 40 fundament all-embracing , and is well - look upon as one of the most attractive cultivars in terminus of fall colouring .
It burst forth with brilliant red and orange hue earlier on than most varieties , and even has remarkable winter hardiness , which come in ready to hand for quash barque snap . An overall knockout .
For a five - foot - magniloquent Red Sunset ® maple transplant , chatter the smashing folks over atFast Growing Trees .
Managing Pests and Disease
A healthy plant cellblock off annoying pestilence and pathogen better than an unhealthy one , so ensure you ’re give care for your cherry maple properly . Here are some of the pests and problems you may happen :
Herbivores
As a whole , herbivores tend to be much cuter than plant , and a starving deer or squirrel tugs at our heartstrings way more than a munched - up plant . We ’re human being with empathy , after all … most of us , at least .
But sometimes – for the sake of our plants – it ’s essential that we shove those opinion deep , deeply down . As long as our red maple are protected and thriving , then the stomach growl of adorable woodland creature must n’t faze us .
Like beavers , grey squirrel need to frequently jaw on clobber to keep those chompers sharp , and carmine maple make perfect chewing toy , specially when they ’re juvenile saplings .
to boot , gray squirrels will consume the shoots and samaras if they ’re peculiarly famished – neither of which will leave you with an aesthetically pleasingA. rubrum .
Solutions range from leaving a pile of twigs or en nearby as a ataraxis oblation to using squirrel repellant , such as this productfrom Gardener ’s Supply .
Grandpa Gus Squirrel and Chipmunk Repellent
Younger saplings might also need some meshwork fencing placed around them for protection until they develop a more mature sizing and corresponding toughness .
you’re able to also string up an assortment of shiny thing in the trees and/or enclose the trunk in reflective polypropylene wrapping to dissuade their presence .
And if all else fails , you’re able to capture them in ambuscade and release them away from your red maples . This would be a hassle , but it would also be humanist .
Although your matured crimson maples will be safe from lily-white - tailed cervid , A. rubrumsaplings are at danger of being eaten by these athirst “ Bambi ” extras .
Heavy Duty Deer Fence
Heavy - obligation cervid fencing like what’soffered by Gardener ’s Supplywill help discourage them along with bass repellent , which is also available atGardener ’s Supply Company .
Plantskydd Deer Repellent
To learn how to put up adeer fence , study our guide on just that . And for a plethora of general deer prevention tips , check out this guide .
Insects
Creepy - crawly pests can vector diseases between plants as they fertilize , so by keeping your Tree pest - free , you ’ll serve keep them disease - free , too .
Aphids are sonant - embodied and translucently fleeceable insects that draw sap out of bast while excreting honeydew .
This honeydew promote the growing of fungal sooty mold and attracts predatory ant , who protect the aphids in exchange for utilizing the honeydew as a food source .
In addition to the structural damage of alimentation , mystify its sap extracted will lower a red maple ’s vigor and wellness .
Predatory insects such as lacewings and ladybugs provender on aphids , while neem or horticultural oil will down aphid without destroying your garden ’s population ofbeneficial insects .
Additionally , strong spray of pee will nail the aphids off of plant surfaces , if you ’re see for a down in the mouth - budget alternative .
Arbico Organicshas lacewings for sale , and Monterey horticultural crude oil isavailable on Amazon .
Learn to eradicate aphids in our guide .
“ Borer ” identify a variety of pests who spend part of their life cycle tunneling into and feast within the woody structures of plants .
Signs of their presence include bleeding Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree sap or excrete , sawdust - looking frass that collects in various plant corner and crannies .
As rock drill feed , fed - upon plants will often show foliar discoloration , untimely folio drop , bark crack , and branch dieback . This grab bag of symptom reduces a plant life ’s health and life force , and could eventually chair to its death .
Borer plague tend to take place when a plant is stressed , which is prime time for borers to strike . train your red maples properly and keep them protected from forcible accidental injury .
link sprays of cypermethrin and drench the soil with imidacloprid can treat woodborer infestations in or around your tree .
If you descry an infest tree diagram or subdivision and it terminate up dying on you , remove it and dispose of it – do n’t give it away as firewood .
Caterpillar are the larva of butterflies and moths , which can change significantly in appearance . They may be a quarter - column inch to four column inch in distance , can come in many dissimilar colors , and can have backbone and/or pilus all along their torso .
The manner to tell ‘ em apart from sawfly larvaes is by checking their prolegs : caterpillars have five or fewer pairs , while young sawflies have six to ten brace .
Anyone who learn Eric Carle ’s book “ The Very Hungry Caterpillar ” as a kid knows how much these guys love eat leafage .
They can consume individual foliar layer , feeding intravenously , or the integral folio . And while this feeding yield them plenty of muscularity for transfiguration , it reduce plant health and leave behind deceptive - looking foliage .
For light damage that was point out too late and probable wo n’t get on further , doing nothing is n’t a bad option .
But if you discover an infestation early in the time of year that you conceive that could become bad , this is the best meter to act . These pests are easiest to carry off when the terms is still minor and population are modest .
you may remove caterpillars , their egg cluster , and their vane by hand . Applications of insecticidal soap are great for treating caterpillars without harming populations of beneficial insects .
Natria Insecticidal Soap
Natira offers such a producton Amazon .
name for their tendency to start clear of disquieted leaves , leafhoppers breastfeed sap out of parting , which leave behind lightly - colored speckles , browns leaf , and lowers plant vigor over fourth dimension .
On the whole , leafhopper are slender , wedge - shaped louse that vary in color bet on the metal money . They also eliminate honeydew , which has all those nasty side effect mentioned earlier .
Since they winter in plant debris , take away such debris from the garden will help to keep them comprise . It also goes without saying that you do n’t want to mulch or compost with infested maple folio .
Assassin bug , ladybugs , and green lacewing will all consume leafhoppers . Azadirachtin or pyrethrins will put up immediate control , but these may also harm good insects … choices , choices .
Whether they ’re piano or armored , scale louse suck plant succus from the shoot . As they do this , these rounded and itty - bittie pests stunt growth , scandalmongering leaf , and make premature foliage drop . Soft shell insects will also eliminate honeydew .
Scale can be mechanically scraped off by hand or with tools , and heavily infested branches can be trim and destroyed . Ladybugs and parasitic wasps will consume scale , so stave off systemic insecticides if you choose to go this itinerary .
But if chemical substance ascendence is necessary , horticultural oil will do the put-on , and solid systemic chemical substance choice include cyfluthrin , cyhalothrin , bifenthrin , or permethrin .
Learn to deal with shell in our guidebook .
Disease
save gardening tool sterile and planting in disease - gratis soil will help prevent contagion , but sometimes diseases strike despite our best efforts .
canker evolve when an open wound on a plant becomesinfected with bacterium or fungus kingdom .
These lesions look horribly discolor and pathological . Not a super donnish description , but given how much canker sore appearance can motley , it ’s the most universally accurate .
They ’ll often ooze sap or other flora fluid , and tend to hinder growth on the leg where they ’re found . Leaves discolor , curl , and wilt , while the limb as a whole will see dieback . Not fun .
Prevention via proper cultivation is all you may really do here , along with pruning away canker - cover branches .
Make your cold shoulder several inch behind where the lesion is located . Pruning in wet conditions can scatter fungi , so avoid those marathon showery daytime pruning sessions .
Do n’t cut directly into a pestilence . For removing canker located on the trunk , it ’s best to hire a professional tree surgeon .
A catch - all name for many different leaf spot disease due to fungi , fungous folio smudge results in small , darkened lesions on foliage surface . As the spots maturate , they can merge into larger , on an irregular basis - shaped splotch .
Other than do visual blemishes and some defoliation , most leaf place disease are n’t a Brobdingnagian deal for red maples .
collect and destroying nearby works detritus , dress to increase airflow , and using antifungal agent can help in deal with fungal folio slur .
because of soilborne species ofVerticilliumfungi , this wilt is a very serious condition . The causal fungus can enter a flora ’s root or aboveground wounds and terminate up killing your red maple .
It does this by basically clog up the xylem , which is fundamentally a plant ’s internal plumbing that carry body of water from the roots to the leaf .
Streaked sapwood can be a symptom , along with chlorosis , tissue necrosis , and the eventual death of the intact Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . A professional diagnosis can add up in ready to hand for disease designation , as well .
Dead offshoot should be pruned , and drained tree diagram should be polish off and replace with species that are resistant to verticillium wilt . Since the disease can prevail in the dirt for many years , you would n’t want to just try again with another red maple .
Best Uses
Ornamentally , red maples make grotesque specimen , whether they ’re in the curtilage or planted as street trees near paving material or along a sidewalk . Their foliation provides shade andspectacular fall color , and they ’re tolerant of many dissimilar cultural condition .
Plus , as far as seeds go , the propeller - shaped samara are very amusing .
When they ’re tossed into the line , they fall down spinning like they ’re little chopper crap a landing place . Anyone can get a kick out of these uniquely awing semen capsule , no matter how old .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
The Red Maple: A Landscape Staple
Why should Canadians be the only ones who proudly display red maple leaves ?
With a red maple tree diagram in your yard , you ’ll be able to flaunt some scarletAcerfoliage , too ! And if you bump to be read this in Canada … well , you ’ll be the most patriotic person on the block !
This concludes our red maple guidebook , so go forth and implant some seriously awe-inspiring trees , crew !
For more info ongrowing Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in your landscape painting , we ’ve got just the guides for you :
© call for the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Product photos via Arbico Organics , profligate Growing Trees , Gardener ’s Supply Company , Natria , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock .
About
Joe Butler
