The Most Colorful Fall Maple Tree
The maple family, Acer, is one of the most colorful families of trees for fall foliage. Determining the most colorful maple tree is a subjective decision, open to argument, and also dependent on the geographic region in which the tree is grown, in addition to the weather patterns of the growing season. Does this Spark an idea?
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Red Maple
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Several species and varieties of maple are renowned for the intense color they display as the fall chill begins to return. Red maple, Acer rubrum, gains its name from the deep scarlet hue that adorns its leaves and the species is often one of the first trees to begin to change color in autumn. Sometimes called a swamp maple, it produces red, orange or yellow colors with the coming of fall. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences claims the red maple "puts on one of the most brilliant displays of any tree but trees vary greatly in fall color and intensity."
Japanese Maple
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The Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, contains a number of varieties with different leaf-color characteristics. Some possess red or purplish hues in the spring, turn green in the summer heat, and then revert back to a dark red color as fall makes itself known. Other types of Japanese maple retain their green stance until fall when they adopt a copper, orange, red or yellow collection of foliage.
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Japanese Maple Varieties
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Varieties and cultivars of the Japanese maple with excellent color in the fall include the Bloodgood, named for its striking, red autumn leaves -- it normally enjoys a richer color of red when grown in full sun. The Crimson Queen Japanese maple holds a deep scarlet color as the season changes, while the Fullmoon maple, Acer japonicum, is a related species that grows wider and larger leaves than a Japanese maple and is noted for its bright display of color.
Other Maples
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Colors of the sugar maple, Acer saccharin, range from yellow to orange and red, as does the trident maple, Acer buergeranum. While the maple species is normally found in the East and Midwest of North America, some varieties are native to northwest North America and feature colors unique to their region. The vine maple, Acer criminate, produces bright yellow fall foliage if grown in the shade and a rich crimson appearance when grown in full sun.
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References
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