Maples make their colorful fall presence known

Published 3:10 pm Wednesday, November 16, 2016

This may not be New England, but maples are important here, too. East Texas is home to a number of native maples, plus several Asian species that are popular.

Just remember that maples prefer well-drained soils with regular irrigation during the summer, along with partially shaded conditions.

Our best fall color here often doesn’t occur until late November and early December. That’s a great time to call somebody in Vermont and ask them who has the best fall color now! These are some of the maples you are likely to encounter in East Texas.

Boxelder (Acer negundo): This native East Texas maple doesn’t look much like a maple to the untrained eye. It’s our only compound-leafed maple, and sports virtually no fall color. It can be found along most streams here, and is rarely planted as an ornamental.

Chalk Maple (Acer leucoderme): This rare native of Deep East Texas provides the best fall color of our “sugar maples.” Its autumn hues generally range from orange to red – colors generally reserved for red maples and Japanese maples. It’s typically a small understory tree. It is rather rare in commerce, but can occasionally be purchased from specialty nurseries dealing in native Texas plants.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum): Japanese maples are one of the most popular small ornamental trees in the entire world. Though they prefer the acid soils of East Texas with regular moisture, they are grown throughout the state as picturesque small trees in partly shaded environs. They also can be grown in large containers with regular irrigation. There are literally hundreds of cultivars to choose from. The burgundy leafed, weeping and cut-leafed types are the most popular, but the standard green-leafed species is the easiest to grow. The best collection of Japanese maples in the state can be found at the SFA Ruby Mize Azalea Garden in Nacogdoches, which boasts more than 100 different cultivars. The Dallas Arboretum also has assembled an impressive collection.

Red Maple (Acer rubrum rubrum): When you admire the beautiful shots of spectacular fall color in New England, it’s normally the red maples that are putting on the most spectacular show. Of course, the species name “rubrum” hints at what’s in store. Red maple is a fairly common native in our East Texas woodlands, providing pockets of autumn color ranging from yellow through orange and red. It makes a medium-sized shade tree. Acer rubrum drummondii (swamp red maple) is more common in Southeast Texas, and sports velvety white undersides to its leaves. Though it has showier blooms in the spring, sometimes rivaling redbuds, it is known for less than spectacular fall color. Acer rubrum trilobum (trilobed red maple) is more common in Deep and Northeast East Texas and sports smaller, three-lobed leaves with smooth, white undersides.

Shantung Maple (Acer truncatum): I first saw this Chinese maple at a test garden at Kansas State University with Dr. Steve George and Dr. Jerry Parsons years ago, where it was the only maple that didn’t have burned and tattered foliage in the full sun during the summer. It has since been designated a Texas Superstar because of its adaptability to the majority of Texas. Shantung maple provides a similar delicate appearance as that of a Japanese maple, but with a much tougher constitution. The new leaves appear in the spring with a maroon or orange cast, turn shiny green for summer, and then shades of yellow, orange, or red in the fall. It makes a small tree and will grow in sun or part shade.

Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum): Though widely planted in East Texas, silver maple is one of our least desirable maples. Silver maple produces very little fall color in Texas and has weak wood and narrow branching angles that lead to broken limbs. It generally has a relatively short lifespan.

Southern Sugar Maple (Acer barbatum): In much of Deep East Texas, Southern sugar maples are one of the dominant trees along woodland streams. Sometimes known as Florida sugar maple, it is a more heat- and drought-tolerant descendant of the Northern sugar maple. It is best adapted to well-drained soils with regular irrigation and can grow into a medium-sized shade tree. Southern sugar maples generally turn golden yellow in the fall with blushes of peach and orange during ideal years. Like all trees grown from seed, each seedling can be different. It, too, is uncommon in the trade but occasionally available from nurseries specializing in native plants.

Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum): Another Chinese maple, this one has smallish three-lobed leaves and unusual exfoliating bark. It’s a healthy small- to medium-sized tree that typically turns orange to red each fall.

Maples are among my very favorite trees, and in my opinion no property should be without one.