Sun Valley Maple Acer Rubrum 10 Gal

‘Sun Valley’ is a U.S. National Arboretum introduction. It is a male selection that is noted for having a symmetrical ovate crown and exceptional red fall color. It typically grows to 21’ tall over the first 10 years, eventually maturing to as much as 30-35’ tall in ideal growing conditions. It is the result of a cross between A. rubrum ‘Red Sunset’ and A. rubrum ‘Autumn Flame’. Reddish male flowers appear in early spring. No fruit is produced. Medium green leaves (to 4” long). Fall color for this cultivar appears as a brilliant red in late fall.

Acer rubrum, commonly called red maple, is a medium-sized, deciduous tree that is native to Eastern North America from Quebec to Minnesota south to Florida and eastern Texas. It typically grows 40-60’ tall with a rounded to oval crown. It 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. Emerging new growth leaves, leafstalks, twigs, flowers, fruit and fall color are red or tinged with red. Quality of red fall color on species plants is variable.