Red maple that stays red

rustieocean

Hi experts...

Are there any species of red maples that stay red over the entire year? Or most of the year? My dad told me he once spotted one but he's not sure if it's the foliage or actually the flowers in some time of the year.

I registered in this forum to ask this question, but I found it so interesting here that I'm hoping to stay longer.

Paul Toivonen

Yes there are, look for cv. names like 'Nigra', 'Crimson King', 'Atropurpureum' Just to name a few.
If you buy them in spring to summer you can guarantee the colour foliage you will get.

Steve Galehouse

There are no maples that retain foliage all year in Massachusetts, but there are a number of cultivars of Norway maple and Japanese maple that have "red" foliage during the growing season. Red maple is a very confused term in North America, with a species(Acer rubrum) called red maple, which is green is spring/summer then red, orange, or yellow in autumn. Most of the gardening consumers in the eastern U.S. think of the Norway maple(Acer platanoides) cultivar "Crimson King" when the term "red maple" is used---"Crimson King" is a much too frequently planted variety, with with a dingy red-brown foliage color, sort of like a week-old knee scab. Another cultivar called "red maple" is "Bloodgood" Japanese maple, an Acer palmatum cultivar.

"Crimson King" will stay scab red during the entire growing season, "Bloodgood" will stay maroon until 90F temps in summer, then it will turn a greenish-red.

rustieocean

Thanks a lot!

rustieocean

Thanks for the informative reply!
Am I right in saying that the red color of the two species you mentioned are not as exciting as the seasonally-red species at their red-season?

Steve Galehouse

Yes, "Crimson King" and "Bloodgod" are not nearly as showy in the autumn as cultivars of Acer rubrum "Red Sunset" or "October Glory''. Despite its name, "October Glory" colors up in November, while "Red Sunset" colors up in mid-October.

Paul Toivonen

I got hold of some A. palmatum cv's that were red all over, I just cant recall the names, but they do exist.
What is the one on the Canada flag?

rustieocean

Do you mean this A. Palmatum species?
Acer palm. 'Shaina'

Brent Ferris

The maple on the Canadian flag is a Sugar Maple Acer saccharum.

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