Firefall Maple
Acer x freemanii 'Firefall'
Height: 45 feet
Spread: 30 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4a
Description:
A silver maple/red maple hybrid with an upright growth habit; a good shade tree for smaller properties, more tolerant of adverse conditions than red maple and an impressive color display starting in the early fall
Ornamental Features
Firefall Maple is primarily valued in the landscape for its decidedly oval form. It has rich green deciduous foliage. The lobed leaves turn outstanding shades of orange and in the fall. The furrowed gray bark and brick red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Firefall Maple is a deciduous tree with a shapely oval form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Firefall Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Shade
- Vertical Accent
Planting & Growing
Firefall Maple will grow to be about 45 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 5 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.
This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.
