Red Maple

Red Maple 'Autumn Red' (Acer rubrum 'Autumn Red') is the deciduous shade tree to plant when you want a real autumn display without waiting a decade for it. In an Australian garden it reaches about 8m tall and 5m wide, putting on height faster than most maples, then turns scarlet and crimson before the leaves drop. Small red flowers open on bare wood in late winter.

Why you'll love it

• Reliable autumn colour. The whole canopy turns red rather than muddy brown, and the display holds for several weeks in a cool season.
• Quick to give shade. It is among the faster deciduous trees, so a 45L plant casts useful summer shade within a few seasons.
• Summer shade, winter sun. Bare branches from mid autumn let low winter light reach the house and the lawn beneath.
• Handles wet and windy sites. Frost hardy, wind tolerant and comfortable in damp ground, which suits low lying blocks other trees sulk in.

Where it works best

Shade tree for a lawn. Give it 5m of clear space from the house. The roots run shallow and near the surface, so keep it well back from paving and pipes.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 6m to 8m apart in a row so each crown develops evenly and the autumn colour reads as one sweep.

Feature planting. A single specimen in a front lawn works in every season: red flowers in late winter, fresh green in spring, shade in summer, colour in autumn.

Growing Red Maple in Australia

Position and climate. This is a cool temperate and warm temperate tree. Colour is strongest where autumn nights turn genuinely cold, so Victoria, Tasmania and the tablelands get the best of it. In warm coastal gardens it still grows well, but expect a shorter, softer display. It is not a tree for the tropics.

Soil. It prefers deep, slightly acidic soil and dislikes lime. Work compost through a wide planting hole rather than a deep one. Damp ground is fine; dry or alkaline soil is not.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, more in a heatwave, since a young maple scorches at the leaf edges when it dries out. Feed a slow release fertiliser in early spring and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Remove crossing or damaged branches in winter while the tree is bare, and lift the lower limbs gradually if you want to mow beneath.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in five sizes. The 200mm pack of six and the 300mm are young whips, cheap enough to plant an avenue and quick to catch up. The 400mm and 45L are the usual garden choice, already carrying a leader and side branches. The 100L is advanced stock with immediate height.

If it arrives bare or thinly leafed in the cooler months, that is normal for a deciduous tree, not a fault. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare varieties in our autumn colour plants collection.
• Browse other fast growing shade trees.
• See the range of driveway and avenue trees.
• Read our guide to maple care in Australian gardens.

Common questions

How big does it get here?

About 8m tall and 5m wide here. It reaches well over 20m in North America, but our warmer, drier conditions keep it to a manageable garden scale.

Will it colour up in Sydney?

It grows well in warm temperate gardens, though the display depends on cold autumn nights and will be shorter than in Victoria. It is not suited to the subtropics or tropics.

Are the roots a problem near paving?

They can be. The root system is shallow and surface running, so plant at least 5m from driveways, paths and pipes rather than treating it as a verge tree.