Being a brand based in Canada, we can’t help but love maple trees!
Being a brand based in Canada, we can’t help but love maple trees! Of course, we love all trees, but maples are among our favorites. They can be enormous or small depending on the type and erupt each fall in many different vibrant colors. But when it comes to fall colors, some maples are better than others. These are the best maple trees for fall color.
Planning to plant a tree? Read our tutorial onhow to plant a tree.
Japanese maple
There are a wide variety of Japanese maple trees, which all yield different colors of fall foliage. Japanese maples tend to grow smaller, which make them a great addition to a container garden. They’re also slow growing, topping out usually at around 15-20 feet depending on the variety. These trees do better in zones 5 to 8.
Striped mapl
Striped maples are a maple tree native to the northeast US and southeast Canada. Their leaves turn a delightful yellow color in the fall. They’re relatively small, maxing out at about 30 feet tall. Pruning it will help maintain a smaller size if that’s what’s desired.
Autumn blaze maple
Who would have thought that a tree called the Autumn Blaze maple would be a good tree for fall foliage? These trees grow to be fairly large, 40 to 50 feet on average, and are an excellent shade tree. Their leaves turn a bright red color in the fall.
Sugar maple
I get hungry just thinking about sugar maples. Their sap makes some of the sweetest syrup around! They also grow to be very large, up to 75 feet tall, and erupt in oranges and reds during the fall. It’s cold hardy too, thriving well in zones 3 to 8. Just give it plent yof space to grow, it’s a big tree!
Norway maple
The Noray maple is an incredibly hardy tree, thriving well in zones 4 to 8. It also does well in cities, handling stressors like air pollution that might stunt and kill other trees. These trees grow to be about 50 feet tall and turn red and orange in the fall.
American Red maple
What color do you suppose the red maple turns in the fall? Not only does the American red maple have red leaves, but it also has red flowers in the spring! It’s a fast growing maple, adding 2-3 feet of growth each year. It’ll top out at about 60 feet tall. It handles cold and hot weather alike, thriving in zones 4 to 8. Although its spring and fall colors are red, expect a deep, rich green leaf during the summer.
Amur maple
Amur maples are another type of maple tree that doesn’t grow particularly large, so it’s great for smaller spaces. Like Japanese maples, Amur maples can be grown in containers. Their maximum height is around 20 feet. They thrive in zones 2 to 8, but are considered invasive in some places. Their leaves turn a dark red color in the fall.
FAQs
Sugar maple
What maple tree has the best fall color? ›
Sugar Maple
When it comes to fall color, sugar maples are at the top of the list. These native maple trees are spectacular in autumn when their foliage turns vibrant red, orange, and yellow. They make excellent shade trees for large backyards.
Which maple tree stays red all year? ›
There is a variety of Norway maple called schwedlerii which is the grampa of the shade trees in this category. It has a bit of green mixed with the red, and this variety has been improved on so the leaves are all red. The other maple that's red is Japanese maple, an understory size tree.
What is the best maple tree for the front yard? ›
Sun Valley Maple
Maple trees are always a classic for a front yard, and this variety is a stunner. It's also a multitasker—in addition to adding curb appeal, Sun Valley is fast-growing, provides good shade, produces no seeds, and is resistant to Leafhoppers.
Which tree has the best fall color? ›
Top 10 Trees With The Best Fall Color
- Shumard Oak. ...
- Krauter Vesuvius Purple Leaf Plum. ...
- Tulip Poplar. ...
- Autumn Blaze Maple. ...
- American Sweetgum. ...
- Bloodgood Japanese Maple. ...
- Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple. ...
- Autumn Brilliance® Serviceberry. Brilliant indeed!
They are easy to grow, requiring little to no maintenance once they are established. They are also exceptionally beautiful. The most colorful maple trees are Japanese maples and red maples. These maple tree varieties have exceptional color throughout the year or in fall.
What is the fastest growing maple tree? ›
Autumn blaze maple trees can grow up to 3 feet each year—faster than red maples—and their fall foliage color is more reliably red (red maple's leaves often turn yellow in fall). Additionally, they're just as easy to grow, requiring little care beyond moist soil and additional watering during periods of drought.
Which maple has the brightest red leaves? ›
Their versatility is astounding, but another huge benefit of the Autumn Blaze is that the trees don't need to mature in order to enjoy the brilliant transformation of leaves to bright scarlet every fall. The Autumn Blaze Maple is a versatile and rapid grower which makes a great addition to your home wherever you live!
Which is the reddest maple tree? ›
“Bloodgood” and “Emperor” are two popular varieties, with the deepest red foliage and mature size of 15 to 20 feet tall and wide. Japanese maples do best with some protection from sun and wind.
What are the disadvantages of red maple trees? ›
Red maple is fast growing with a desirable oval shape and strong wood. However, this tree is notorious for producing surface roots which can lift sidewalks and make mowing difficult; plant them in locations with plenty of room for roots to grow to avoid this problem.
The shallow, fibrous root system and dense shade of Norway maple make it virtually impossible for grass to grow under the tree, and the aggressive roots frequently girdle even the parent tree, ultimately choking itself to death, making it a bad tree if you're planning on growing anything else around it.
What is the prettiest red maple? ›
The Bloodgood maple is a variety of the Japanese maple tree. Known for their rich red leaves, Bloodgood maples bloom in the springtime, and their red leaves are the most vibrant at this time.
What trees have color all year? ›
5 Trees That Add Vibrant Color to Your Landscape Year-Round
- Flowering Dogwood Trees. Flowering dogwood trees are some of the most stunning additions to your property, as they produce long-lasting white or pink blossoms in the spring. ...
- Saucer Magnolia Trees. ...
- Maple Trees. ...
- Chaste Trees. ...
- Ginkgo Trees.
Beech trees turn a beautiful bright-to-golden yellow or vivid orange during the fall season, but that's not their biggest draw! Homeowners love the American beech because its leaves change later in the season and hold on to the tree longer than most other species.
What state has the prettiest trees in the fall? ›
Best places to see fall colors in the US
- Stowe, Vermont. ...
- Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. ...
- Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. ...
- Zion National Park Utah. ...
- Tennessee/North Carolina state line. ...
- West Virginia. ...
- Northwestern Wyoming. ...
- Wisconsin Northwoods.
Autumn Blaze Maples are the hottest shade tree in the United States. - There is truly no other maple which can rival the combination of brilliance, vigor, and adaptability displayed by the Autumn Blaze Maple.
What maple tree turns multiple colors fall? ›
Sugar maple leaves have five pointed lobes, each pointing in a different direction, and the leaves can turn a range of colors, from bright yellow to orange to a vivid red-orange – sometimes, all of these colors may even be visible on the same tree!
What are the negatives of Autumn Blaze maples? ›
The big drawback of the Autumn Blaze maple is its structural weakness. The tree tends to crack easily at branch unions, which leads to broken branches and property damage after even mild storms. To avoid problems with Autumn Blaze maple trees, property owners must invest in regular tree care.
