The Popular Maple Tree Variety That'll Fill Your Yard With Beautiful Fall Colors

Thanks to their graceful stature, maple trees often steal the show with their vibrant fall foliage. With more than 130 species across the world, these beauties come in a wide range of sizes and display an impressive offering of foliage shapes and textures. While all maples can bring seasonal charm, perhaps the most breathtaking of all are those that blaze orange or crimson in autumn, dotting the landscape with fiery color that few other trees can rival. You'll see maples across most of the United States, as they are hardy in plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. With so many kinds to choose from, it's understandable if you're unsure which variety (a naturally occurring variation of the tree) or cultivar (selectively bred for traits) would be best for your outdoor space.

When shopping for a maple sapling, look for one that can offer vibrant fall color and disease resistance. Additionally, choose one that grows quickly, so you can enjoy its shade and brilliant foliage without waiting years for it to mature. When selecting a maple for your yard, pay close attention to its hardiness for your climate zone, mature size and shape, fall color intensity, and overall maintenance needs. You'll usually find this information on the tree's tag at the nursery or in the product details if you're shopping online. Choose wisely, and you'll enjoy a beautiful tree in your yard for many years to come.

If brilliant red maple leaves capture your heart each autumn, consider adding a Freeman maple (Acer x freemanii) to your landscape. Developed in 1933 by National Arboretum botanist Oliver Myles Freeman, this hybrid cross between a red maple (Acer rubrum) and a silver maple (Acer saccharinum) combines the best of both: the lustrous scarlet leaves of the red maple and the rapid growth of the silver maple. With the right conditions, it can soar to 40 to 60 feet tall — at a rate four times faster than most maple trees.

Hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7, Freeman maples are easy to grow — simply order a sapling online or pick one up at your local nursery. For the brightest fall color, plant it in a sunny spot and place it in a hole that's two times as wide as its rootball and equally as deep, with the top level to the surrounding soil. Backfill the hole with the dirt you just removed. To support its growth, provide supplemental water during dry periods and add a 3-4 inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree to help retain moisture. Just avoid piling mulch against the trunk; instead, shape it like a doughnut, with the center clear to keep the bark healthy. Because Freeman maples have shallow roots that may damage driveways, patios, or foundations, plant them at least 20 feet from your home. However, if you have a small yard, don't fret — you can still get the same amazing autumn color with a dwarf maple, such as a Japanese maple, which can provide extra shade for your yard and offer equally stunning fall leaves but in a more compact scale.