10/25/1993

AU Red Maple Test Provides Options for Alabama Landscapes

CAMP HILL, Ala. - The brilliant colors of red maple trees have become a traditional part of Alabama's urban AND rural landscapes. Choosing the correct maple for home or business landscapes should become easier in the future as researchers in Auburn University's Agricultural Experiment Station evaluate several varieties currently growing in a shade tree experiment at the Piedmont Substation.

Speaking at a recent Shade Tree and Fall Color Field Day at the Substation, Auburn Researcher Jeff Sibley, noted that red maple varieties grown from tissue culture, instead of budded seedlings, performed more consistently in the first four years of the test.

"If you spend several thousand dollars to plant red maple trees at your home or business, you want them to be red. However, seedling-grown trees may not have the desired red color," according to Sibley. "We have October Glory and Red Sunset trees from tissue culture and from seedlings, and only one of the seedlings has shown consistent red color," the Auburn researcher concluded.

All the red maple trees in the test were transplanted when they were four to five feet tall. At that time, most trees had a trunk caliper of 1/2 to 3/4 inch, measured one-inch above the ground.

Fairview Flame is a new variety that performed well in the test. It was one of the fastest growing trees, reaching nearly 18 feet in the first four years of the test. Fairview Flame has excellent fall color and may become a popular variety for landscapers in the Southeast.

In contrast, Northwood was the slowest growing variety and the smallest caliper, but had the earliest color. "Northwood did not perform well in our test and isn't likely to become a popular variety in Alabama," Sibley stated.

October Glory is the top ranked variety in the test. It holds fall color, in most years, until early December. October Glory ranked tops in color and third in growth. Autumn Flame, which was the most frost resistant, had the top growth rating and the third best color rating, making it a close second to October Glory.

Autumn Blaze, which is a cross between red and silver maple rated second in color evaluations in 1992 and has shown the faster growth rate of silver maple varieties. It reached 15.2 feet tall, with a caliper of over three inches in four years.

"Red maple is the second best selling shade tree in the Southeast, and this test indicates several varieties are excellent for Southern landscapes-- and some that are not so well suited for this area," Sibley concluded.

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News from:

Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
by Roy Roberson

10/25/93