MAPLES... MADE IN THE SHADE

This week I would like to touch on maples as shade trees.  Every week since last July, I have written a column.  Sometimes this can be a challenge.  If you don't believe me, please refer to last November's "Natural Selection of Turkeys" column.  Topics can be hard to find and Ellen usually has to corner me every Friday.  The genus Acer or "maple" is very broad, and cannot be covered in one column.  Maples are a huge and useful category of plants.

    In this column I will address four common species of maples used as shade trees.  This will encompass red maples, sugar maples, Norway maples, and silver maples.  The former two species ar the better shade trees, while the latter two species have their drawbacks.

    Red maple (Acer rubrum) is known as the "swamp maple", making this a versatile shade tree because it can adapt to varied degrees of drainage.  In the Fredericksburg area, we often experience poor drainage because of our heavy clay soil.  The red maple is a great tree to plant in such poor conditions.  This fast growing shade tree grows to a height of 50 to 60 feet with a width of 40 to 60 feet.  The new growth is vivid red, and the fall color is an array of red hues.  Improved varieties include "Red Sunset" and "October Glory".  This tree is a native of eastern North America.

    The Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is the source of maple syrup, exuding volumes of sweet sap when tapped during the spring as the juices begin to flow from the earth through the veins of the tree.  Unlike the Red maple, the Sugar maple requires good drainage in order to survive and avoid such root related diseases as Verticillium Wilt.  The tree grows to a height of 80 to 100 feet with a width of 60 to 80 feet, yielding gorgeous fall foliage of yellows and oranges.  Sugar maples prefer cooler weather.  A major drawback of this tree as a street planting is that it rains sticky nectar upon the finishes of automobiles.  This tree is a native of eastern North America.

    The Norway maple (Acer platanoides) is a broad shade tree with a height of 40 to 50 feet and a width of 65 to 75 feet.  One of the most common varieties is "Crimson King", which has maroon leaves throughout the growing season (this variety should not be confused with the smaller, maroon leafed Japanese Red Maples).  The problems with the Norway maples are that their roots do not spread well, but actually encircle the tree trunk until the plant actually strangles or "girdles" itself, shortening its life.  The end of this life brings root problems and a hazard caused by weak structure.  This plant is a native of western Asia and is quite invasive.  The forests of Long Island are threatened by the proliferation of this plant.

    The Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is the fastest growing maple, also known as the "soft maple", growing 100 feet tall and 70 feet wide.  This plant is rarely found at better nurseries, because of its soft structure.  The Silver maple suffers loss of major branches from wind damage.  I have seen asphalt driveways destroyed by the shallow roots of this tree, and I once watched an employee's 1981 Datsun pickup truck be flattened by an 80 foot Silver maple falling in a freak windstorm.  The tree is a native of eastern North America and provides rapid shade.  Those impressed with mass will appreciate this tree.

    Some of the comments I have made would discourage anyone from planting a maple, but I wholly endorse the use of Red maples and Sugar maples as a positive move.  Years ago, some folks sought to banish further plantings of maples from the streets of Fredericksburg.  Yes, these are passels of leaves to rake.  The trees are butchered when planted under power lines, they plug lines when planted over main sewers.  They also rain aphids when stressed out by having their root systems covered by pavement and receiving amputations generously delivered by utility companies due to ridiculous placement.  However...if you're ever in Fredericksburg in the fall, drive down Kenmore Avenue for an absolutely breathtaking show of fall foliage.  Then take a ride to the Blue Ridge Parkway for the ultimate view.  Maples are a natural and wonderful part of our landscape.