RED MAPLES ARE WELCOMING SPRING 2014 IN NEWTOWN

Loretta is shown here welcoming spring 2014 with a Red Maple tree Acer rubrum.Red Maples are some of the earliest trees to greet us each spring and if you look carefully around Connecticut, brilliant flushes of red can be seen in wetlands or swamps where Red Maples occur naturally.  Some actually refer to Acer rubrum as the Swamp Maple because of its high tolerance to swamp flooded areas.

Red Maple is very often planted in parking lots, business and other urban areas.  Red Maples are so named for their brilliant red showy leaves in the fall, often holding their color for several weeks.

Literature cited from “The University of Florida  IFAS extension" reports that red maples can reach a maximum height around 75 feet and commonly makes its home within the USDA hardiness zones 4A – 9A making it a great candidate for planting in our local 6A USDA hardiness zone.  Light requirements are full sun, partial sun, but my experience has shown planting Red Maples in full direct sun can sometimes result in sunscald damage to the young trunks.  Wrapping young trees in winter with burlap can help, but must be carefully monitored so as to remove the tree wrap in warmer weather.

Although Red Maple is a popular choice for planting like all trees and shrubs it comes with its weakness.  Red Maple is susceptible to breakage in storms it has a wood specific gravity of only .49 and a crushing strength of 6,540lb.  Compare that with Sugar Maple wood specific gravity of .56 crushing strength of 7,830 or Norway maple with wood specific gravity of .50 and crushing strength of 8,560.  Regular pruning and inspection by a licensed arborist will help give many years of service from your red maple. Idea planting sites for Red Maple will have a soil ph of 4.7 – 7.4 and since deicing salts cause difficulties I would recommend planting locations away from driveways, parking lots, and sidewalks or anywhere subject to heavy deicing salt.

Lastly don’t forget your tree needs about one inch of mulch.  Stay tuned to Ask Dr. Arborist upcoming post on proper mulching techniques for trees and shrubs.

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