Every year when autumn rolls around, we’re dazzled by the amazing array of red fall colors – in our nursery, around town, streetside, and in parks and open spaces across the continent. Nothing says “fall” like intensely RED autumn leaves. No doubt about it, red fall color is an autumn favorite.
Brilliant red fall color and many other outstanding characteristics boosted Redpointe® Maple to our nursery’s top-selling tree status since its introduction in 2006. Thanks to its exceptional form, branching, deep green summer foliage, heat resistance and adaptability, its sales have eclipsed those of all three of our longtime top-selling, red fall color trees: Autumn Blaze® Maple and Red Sunset® Maple and October Glory® Maple.
This year, there’s a new kid on the block. Red Sentinel® Maple shines so bright in autumn that it may well outshine the others as it becomes more available in garden centers across the nation.
Choosing one or more of these bright red beauties will assure you of having great fall color in your landscape when the Red Alert sounds in autumn.
Redpointe® Maple
Acer rubrum ‘Frank Jr.’ PP 16769
Redpointe® Maple combines the refined form and foliage of the best Acer rubrum cultivars with the urban tolerance and faster growth rate typical of Acer freemanii. Rich, dark green summer foliage, brilliant red fall color, pyramidal street tree form and well behaved, balanced growth to a height and spread of 45’ x 35’ make it an easy-care tree in the nursery and on the street. Improved disease and insect resistance, heat and drought tolerance, plus tolerance of higher pH soils, and adaptability to urban growing conditions are among reasons to choose this exceptional urban tree.
Red Sentinel® Maple
Acer rubrum ‘WW Warren’ PP 36538
True to its name, Red Sentinel® Maple stands watch over the autumn landscape. Towering straight, tall and narrow, it delivers a bright combination of fiery red fall color and remarkable columnar form. Commanding attention throughout the seasons, its symmetrical column of medium green, anthracnose resistant leaves casts cool shade in summer. Winter reveals a striking silhouette of well-spaced branches and a dominant central leader.
Combining the best genetics of more than four decades of Acer rubrum selection and hybridization efforts at JFS, it is derived from a cross made by Keith Warren in 2006 between an unnamed JFS selection and the popular but slow-growing Red Rocket Maple. The most promising among hundreds of seedlings was planted in 2010 for long term evaluation. Fourteen years later, it is a thriving example of the bright future ahead for this extraordinary new cultivar.
Red Sunset® Maple
Acer rubrum ‘Franksred’
Choose this tried-and-true cultivar for its symmetrical shape, cool summer foliage, dependably bright red fall color and adaptability. Selected and trialed for years prior to its introduction in 1966 by J. Frank Schmidt Jr., it was named the “Number One Shade Tree” in the Ohio Shade Tree Trials and soon became the top selling red maple in the country. Despite its many years in the marketplace, it continues to be a top seller and is among the most adaptable, resilient cultivars of our North American native species.
Deep green leaves turn bright red mid-season, timing that complements other cultivars such as the early-coloring Redpointe® and late-coloring October Glory®. Plant all three and enjoy 5-6 weeks of continuous fall color.
October Glory® Maple
Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’
Introduced in 1964 by Princeton Nurseries of New Jersey, this classic red maple is among many extraordinary trees selected by Plantsman William Flemer III. This round-headed, extremely symmetrical selection is the last cultivar to color in the fall, and when it does, the color really pops. While it is less hardy (USDA Zone 5) than most A. rubrum cultivars, it seems to be better adapted to areas with mild winters and hot summer temperatures. Height and spread are approximately 40’x35′. This beauty growing in Tulsa, Oklahoma is testimony to its overall toughness in challenging climates.
Autumn Blaze® Maple
Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffersred’
Autumn Blaze® combines the drought tolerance and adaptability of the silver maple with the stunning fall color of the red maple. Its fast growth rate, leafhopper tolerance, adaptability and excellent fall color are among reasons it is widely planted. Open crotch angles and branch habit make it less susceptible to storm damage than its Silver Maple parent. Mature height and spread are 50′ x 40′. Zone 3.
Gardeners! Please note that our nursery is strictly wholesale. To purchase these and other trees grown by our nursery, please use our Retailer Locator to find sources of JFS trees near you.
