Plant, Tree & Shrub Library

Other Names:  Hard Maple, Rock Maple

Description:

A select variety for cold hardiness and soil adaptability; features excellent foliage quality and fiery red-orange fall colors that really stand out; dislikes air pollution and compacted soils

Ornamental Features

Northern Flare Sugar Maple has rich green deciduous foliage on a tree with an oval habit of growth. The lobed leaves turn outstanding shades of gold, orange and scarlet in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Northern Flare Sugar Maple is a deciduous tree with a shapely oval form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Northern Flare Sugar Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade

Planting & Growing

Northern Flare Sugar Maple will grow to be about 50 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 40 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 7 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 100 years or more; think of this as a heritage tree for future generations!

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.