Sugar maple fall color9/9/2023 ![]() ![]() This happens when the roots do not grow out into the soil, but grow laterally and eventually strangle part of the tree. Girdling roots can be a problem with Sugar Maple trees. The Sugar Maple root system is generally a shallow root system and can be more sensitive to drought. Generally this would be about 6-12 inches per year but worth the wait. Sugar Maple trees have a medium to slow growth rate. Plant them high, they’ll not die…” Sugar Maple growth rate How fast does a Sugar Maple tree grow? There is a saying in the tree industry, “Plant them low, they’ll not grow. The ball should be 10 inches in diameter for every inch of caliper.ĭo not plant your Sugar Maple tree too deep. I would recommend using balled and burlap trees or planting stock.Ī balled tree would contain a large ball of dirt at the base. Typically Sugar Maple trees should be planted in the spring or fall. ![]() You do have to be careful not to over prune because the tops of the branches can get sun scalded. ![]() They also create so much shade beneath the tree making it difficult to maintain a healthy lawn/grass below them. Sugar Maple trees are shade tolerant, so they can survive when planted in shade. This is important because in the Midwest, there are a lot of higher pH, limestone soils. This attractive coloration, along with the general form and shape of the tree, also make sugar maples popular landscape elements.Sugar Maple trees grow best in moist, fertile soil, however, they are somewhat tolerant of higher pH levels. The leaf peepers that come to see this annual display of color are a crucial component of the local economies during the period between summer vacations and winter skiing. Even sugar maples, when transplanted to areas with similar climates in Europe, do not produce the same level of foliage that they do in New England. For instance, aspens in the Rocky Mountains also turn colors in the autumn, but they all become a monotone yellow, with none of the flashy reds. People from all over the world are drawn to New England to see this natural show, for while all deciduous trees lose their leaves, only those in certain climates turn such gorgeous colors. Regardless of the reason, the combined display of thousands of trees, with red, orange and yellow leaves, is undeniably beautiful. Scientists still have not determined a reason for this particular behavior or how it benefits the tree, since it must actually expend energy to produce the red coloration. Red, however, is caused by anthocyanin, a chemical that the tree actively produces in the leaves as they are dying. These are always present in the tree and simply unmasked in the fall. These are yellow, produced by the pigment xanthophyll, and orange, caused by carotene, which also gives carrots their color. Since the chlorophyll produces the green color of leaves, when it begins to die, the underlying colors of the leaf begin to appear. As the days get shorter, the trees stop producing new chlorophyll and begin drawing nutrients out of the leaves and back into the tree. The reasons for this are numerous and not entirely understood, but the general idea is clear. Just before they drop off, however, they turn a variety of vibrant colors, from yellow to orange to red. As mentioned in the natural history section, maples are deciduous and lose their leaves every autumn. The final value of sugar maples lies with their spectacular foliage. ![]() Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple Fall Leaves. ![]()
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