Other Names:  Shantung Maple

Description:

A stunning, versatile variety, ideal for small home landscapes; clusters of yellow flowers before the leaves in spring; bronze-orange new foliage matures to glossy green in summer, then turns brilliant scarlet in fall; a fine choice as a feature tree

Ornamental Features

Fire Dragon® Purpleblow Maple is smothered in stunning corymbs of yellow flowers hanging below the branches in mid spring before the leaves. It has forest green deciduous foliage which emerges orange in spring. The lobed leaves turn outstanding shades of orange and in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Fire Dragon® Purpleblow Maple is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous tree with a more or less rounded 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.

Fire Dragon® Purpleblow Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent

Planting & Growing

Fire Dragon® Purpleblow Maple will grow to be about 35 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 35 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 6 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 for 70 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in clay soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.