Question
red maple leaves
Hi,
I love to have a foliage tree that's why I've been looking for red maple but I don't see many of them change color. However, I did see a couple which actually turn orage/red in the southwest part of houston. Could you please tell me what kind of red mable that really could change color in fall for houston climate ? Most of nurseries around here carry drummond red maple and they look all green (in the pot). Attached is a red maple I could find on Kirwood/beechnut street. Thanks so much for your help.
AnswerAcer rubrum - 'Red Sunset'
The Red Sunset?Maple is considered one of the best trees for early fall color! This is a large deciduous tree that has pyramidal form when young becoming rounded with age. Glossy green leaves turn brilliant orange-scarlet, extremely showy. Full sun. Moderate-growing to 40 to 50 feet high, 30 to 35 feet wide. Grows faster than Norway and sugar maples, but slower than silver maple. In northern states, red maple usually occurs in wet bottomland, river flood plains and wet woods, but in Missouri it typically frequents drier, rocky upland areas.
Quality of fall color on species plants can be quite variable from year to year. Red Sunset?is one of the best red maple cultivars available in commerce, with outstanding orange to red fall color (quality more reliable than species).
