Sugar Maple

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is the tree behind Canadian maple syrup, and the reason to plant one here is the autumn display: whole canopies turning gold, orange and deep scarlet over a few weeks. In an Australian garden it is far more modest than its forest reputation suggests, settling at around 10m tall and 6m wide rather than the 30m it reaches in North America. Slow, frost hardy and wind tolerant, it is one of the better deciduous shade trees for a cool climate block.

Why you'll love it

• The best autumn colour of any maple. Leaves turn through gold and orange to scarlet, often several colours on one tree at once, and the display holds for weeks.
• Shade in summer, sun in winter. Being deciduous it shades a lawn or patio through the hot months, then bares off and lets winter sun back onto the house.
• A manageable size here. About 10m by 6m, and slow enough that it will not outgrow a suburban block in a hurry.
• Frost hardy and wind tolerant. It handles cold winters without protection, and the even branching suits driveways and avenues.

Where it works best

Shade tree on a lawn. Allow the full 6m of canopy width and set it at least 5m from the house so the crown has room and the roof stays clear.

Driveways and avenues. Space trees 6m to 8m apart along a drive. That gives each canopy its own room while still reading as a matched line once the trees mature.

Growing sugar maple in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, in an open position with room overhead. This is a cool temperate tree first and foremost, and the cooler your autumn nights the stronger the colour. Warm temperate gardens grow it well but the colour is less reliable and often more yellow than scarlet. Subtropical, tropical and arid gardens are outside its range.

Soil. Deep, moist and well drained, slightly acidic for preference. It will not thrive in shallow, compacted or waterlogged ground, so break up a hard subsoil and mulch 75mm deep.

Water and feed. This is not a drought tolerant tree. Deep soak weekly through the first three summers and keep water up to it in dry spells even once established, because moisture stress in late summer causes leaf scorch and a poor autumn show.

Pruning. Little is needed beyond removing crossing branches and lifting the lower limbs for clearance. Do that work in summer or early autumn, since maples pruned in late winter bleed sap heavily.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in one size, a 45L container, which is an advanced tree rather than a young whip. Being deciduous, a tree sent through winter arrives bare of leaves or nearly so, and that is dormancy rather than damage.

Stake it for the first year on an exposed site. Growth is slow by nature, so expect the first two or three seasons to go into roots, then steady progress towards its eventual 10m to 12m. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Maple care guide for Australian gardens
• Trees and plants with autumn colour
• Browse the deciduous tree range
• Advanced trees for immediate height

Common questions

How big will it actually get in an Australian garden?

Around 10m to 12m tall with a 6m spread is realistic over decades. The 30m figure quoted for this species comes from North American forests, where the growing season and the soils are quite different.

Will it colour up in a warm temperate garden?

It will colour, but less intensely. Strong reds depend on cold nights while the days are still bright, so gardens in the tablelands, Victoria and Tasmania get the best of it.

Can I tap it for maple syrup here?

Realistically no. Sap flow depends on hard freezing nights followed by mild days over several weeks, a pattern almost nowhere in Australia provides. Plant it for the autumn colour instead.