Maples of Many Colors

In the Carolinas and Georgia, maple trees decorate lawns and woodlands with gorgeous fall color. The ones that grab your attention are most likely Red Maple or Southern Sugar Maple. 

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is a native, deciduous tree that reaches average heights of 50-60 feet. It prefers moist, acidic soil and full sun to part shade. Avoid alkaline soils. It is a fast grower that makes a good choice for establishing shade at new homes where developers removed all vegetation. Hardy in zones 2-9, Red Maple is one of the earlier trees to begin showing fall color. Despite the common name, autumn leaves can be red or yellow. It is more heat tolerant than Northern Sugar Maple.

Northern Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is the tree that New Englanders tap for sweet sap that is processed into delicious maple syrup. It will survive in zones 3-8, but struggles in the heat of the deep South. A better choice for the southeast is Southern Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum subspecies floridanum. Southern Sugar Maples grow in zones 6-9, and reach heights of 70 feet. They do not grow as quickly as Red Maples, but still fast enough to make them a good choice for an urban or suburban garden, providing there is adequate lawn space and sufficient moisture. Fall color is mostly orange but can also be yellow or red.

When shopping for a Southern Sugar Maple, check plant tags carefully. Acer saccharinum is not the same as Acer saccharum. The former is Silver Maple, a tree known for its rapid growth. Unfortunately, it is brittle and short-lived. Mature specimens commonly sustain limb damage in storms. Fall color is disappointing when compared with Red Maple or Southern Sugar Maple.

It is not always possible to detect the provenance of maples found in a garden center or nursery. Southern gardeners should seek out trees that were grown by southeastern or southern growers. Our northern neighbors should try to find trees from northern sources. Trees that are sourced from opposite growing areas may not survive.

Maples have fun seeds, called samaras, with a peculiar winged shape that makes them twirl to the ground like tiny helicopters. Great fun for kids, but can also mean lots of seedlings to be removed by the gardener. It is difficult to grow anything under maples because they cast deep shade, but also because their numerous shallow roots make it difficult to dig a planting hole underneath their canopies. Those roots suck lots of moisture, which compounds the problem. Consider a skirt of mulch or a shallow-rooted groundcover like Creeping Sedum. Plant them away from sidewalks and patios to avoid cracks/heaving caused by their surface roots.

I have focused on fall leaf color, but one of my favorite things about maple trees comes in the earliest spring. When other trees have not begun to unfurl new leaves, the tiny blooms of maple trees make their bare branches take on a red appearance, especially when seen at a distance. In woods full of gray, leafless companions, these harbingers of spring are eye-catching.

Maples provide food and shelter for pollinators and small mammals.

Katsura Smells of Caramel?

Katsura leaves resemble Redbud, to which it is not related.

In addition to the Hickories, Maples, Sourwoods and Tupelos that are lighting up my woods right now, a weeping Katsura or Cercidiphyllum (ser-sid-ih-FIL-um), greets fall with butter-yellow, heart-shaped leaves. Despite the similarity in Latin names and leaf shape, they are not related to Cercis (Redbud tree). A quick examination reveals identity. Cercis leaves are held in an alternate arrangement on stems while Katsura are mostly in an opposite arrangement. Decaying Katsura leaves are reputed to have the smell of burnt sugar or caramel. Much to the consternation of my dogs and cats, I have sniffed the ground around mine several times but have been unable to detect any such scent. Spring leaves are bronze or burgundy and mature to a blue-green that is very attractive, especially when paired with contrasting foliages such as deep green holly or yellow ‘Gold Mop’ cypress.

Katsuras are not giant trees, maturing at a modest 50 feet or less. My mature specimen, a weeper that I assume to be the cultivar ‘Pendula,’ is 25 feet tall, with an equal spread. The tips of its branches brush the ground. Katsura wood is firm, so its branches do not ripple in the breeze like a weeping willow. An imaginative child (okay, an adult, too) could turn this upside-down-umbrella shape into a nature fort or hiding spot.

Katsuras will grow in either acidic clay or sand soils as long as there is plenty of organic matter, so allow fallen leaves to remain in place. It prefers a moist environment, so plan on supplemental irrigation during long dry periods. An alkaline soil results in a loss of the beautiful fall leaf color. Trees can be either male or female (dioecious). Spring flowers appear before leaves, are insignificant and have no smell. Male flowers are red; female flowers are green and produce tiny bean-like seed pods. Flowers last only one week. Mature trees have shaggy bark. They are shallow rooted, and may have roots above soil level, so plan surroundings carefully. Site them out of a windy area, if possible.

Cercidipyllum trees are unlikely to appear at big box stores and small garden centers. I worked in a plant nursery several years where a lone weeping Katsura was for sale. I coveted the plant, although it carried a price tag that put it beyond my modest plant-purchasing budget. I don’t know if it was the price tag or customers’ unfamiliarity that kept it hostage on the sales floor. It remained available for years after I moved on to other projects. Since then I have learned that Katsuras resent disturbance and are best moved when small.

Katsuras are Asian natives that grow in zone 4 to 8, full sun, moist but well-drained soil. They are rarely browsed by deer and have no significant insect or disease issues.

The graceful form of a weeping Katsura tree.