Acer rubrum Summer Red - Maple

Acer rubrum 'Summer Red' is a very special variety of red maple. It not only displays beautiful colours in autumn but also in spring, and throughout the season! The young leaves open in shades of red and purple in spring and summer, where they coexist with the mature leaves that have turned dark green, creating a striking contrast. In autumn, it mainly turns yellow, another uniqueness of this variety, and also red, the species' signature colour. Vigorous and fairly fast-growing, it forms a medium-sized tree with a pyramidal to ovoid shape. It is Resistant to urban pollution and will thrive in medium-sized gardens or large spaces, preferably in sunny or partially shady locations.

Native to the Northeastern United States and Canada, the Acer rubrum is known as Canadian maple, red maple, or Virginia maple depending on the region. It is a large forest tree of the Sapindaceae family (formerly Aceraceae), which originally included numerous species (such as Koelreuteria) and others resulting from the merging of old families (such as horse chestnut, formerly classified in the Hippocastanaceae). The Canadian maple can reach a height of 30 m (98 ft 5 in) in its natural habitat. This light and semi-shade species can live up to 200 years. Its wood is commonly used in furniture making.
The 'Summer Red' variety is unique due to its decorative foliage colourations from spring to autumn. During budburst, it displays beautiful reddish-purple young shoots. As it ages, the leaves turn dark green, but new purple shoots emerge during summer, standing out against the dark heart of the foliage. Autumn is a festival of colours, in addition to the species' classic red, 'Summer Red' also adorns itself with significant amounts of yellow, and sometimes even orange hues in some individuals.

This beautiful tree has fairly vigorous growth, reaching about 9 m (29 ft 6 in) in height in 10 years, with a spread of 4 m (12 m (39 ft 5 in) or more at maturity and 5 m (16 ft 5 in) wide). It is perfectly resistant to frost (hardy down to -30°C (-22 °F) or even lower), but dislikes strong winds. It thrives in deep and moist, preferably acidic and clayey soil, where its autumnal colours will be more intense. It prefers humus-rich and fertile soils, while chalky soils should be strictly avoided. It requires moisture throughout the year, so watering in summer is necessary to prevent the soil from drying out.
Its grey bark blends well with the immaculate white bark of the Himalayan birch, which enjoys the same soil conditions and creates a beautiful scene in spring and autumn. In large spaces, the Golden Sun sweetgum with its yellow spring foliage and crimson autumn colours will create spectacular tonal contrasts.