Autumn Blaze Maples: 15 Reasons Why They Are Best

Think back to your favorite street. We are willing to bet that it was lined with large, mature shade trees giving yards a beautiful and charming feel as sunlight weaved through their lush green canopies and large weaving branches.

In the fall the leaves would turn brilliant shades of yellow, red, and orange before dropping. These trees must have even looked stunning in the winter with blankets of snow covering the branches. The type of shade trees we are describing are maples and today we’re discussing one of the most popular new maple varieties, the Autumn Blaze Maple.

15 Reasons To Plant Autumn Blaze Maples

The Autumn Blaze Maple is a hybrid cross between the Silver Maple and Red Maple, therefore their best qualities are combined to create a tough, fast growing maple that’s full of benefits.Whether your soil is acidic, basic or anything in-between your Autumn Blaze Maple will adapt to it and thrive. They aren’t picky!In fact Autumn Blaze Maples are so easy going that they can tolerate both dry and wet soils. With a high level of drought tolerance and ability to handle wet conditions Autumn Blaze Maples can survive in almost any environment.Is it cold where you are? That’s fine, because Autumn Blaze Maples are recommended for growing zones 3 through 8. They can withstand freezing temperatures down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.The Autumn Blaze Maple was the winner of the 2003 and 2004 Urban Tree of the Year award, for their tough, disease and insect resistant nature. Pests pose no threats to this maple.Autumn Blaze Maples grow up to 3 feet per year. This is an extremely fast growth rate for a maple tree, meaning you get all of the benefits of a mature tree faster.

Autumn Blaze Maples are beautiful. They have tons of thick, green, lush leaves that glimmer in the sun all spring and summer long.In the fall the abundant green leaves turn a shade of fiery red that attracts attention from all over. The show stopping color is one of the brightest shades of fall color red available.Their leaves aren’t only pretty, they are also rewarding. In the summer the leaves create shaded areas to provide relief from the heat. If the shade covers the roof or a large sunny window it can keep homes cooler, so the AC can rest. This can save a lot of money when it comes to utility bills during the warmer months.In the colder months the leaves drop, allowing sunlight through the branches to warm your yard and home.

Along with colorful leaves, Autumn Blaze Maples have samaras which are winged pods. They are green with red edges, and as they spin through the air towards the ground they look like miniature helicopters. They’re a delight to watch.The samaras are an excellent food source for birds and other small critters, causing the Autumn Blaze Maple to be a must have for those who enjoy watching birds, and other wildlife.People want the homes with the best landscaping. Once an Autumn Blaze Maple is planted and beautifully takes off property values sky rocket. The Autumn Blaze Maple is a sound investment if you might sell your property.

Breathe better. Autumn Blaze Maples will clean the air while they filter out carbon dioxide. Pollution particles are caught in the leaves, so you get to take in all the clean air. This is great for areas with a lot of smog, and can help those with asthma.Trees in the landscape inspire creative thinking. Thick jagged canopies break up the mundane cityscape to refresh minds, and inspire ideas. Children can put their video games away to go outside and play around Autumn Blaze maples for hours.

Autumn Blaze Maple Care

Since Autumn Blaze Maples are extremely low maintenance, they don’t need much TLC. However, we do have a few tips to help them flourish.

Plant your Autumn Blaze Maples in an area that receives full to partial sunlight. The more sunlight that these trees receive, the brighter fall colors they will have.

Autumn Blaze Maples will adapt to your natural soil even if it is sandy or heavy in clay, as long as it drains well. However, these maples prefer soil that’s slightly acidic. Add organic matter like peat moss to your soil in order to increase its acidity.

Rainwater usually provides enough moisture for Autumn Blaze Maples, however they will need supplemental water during times of drought.

Even though Autumn Blaze Maples generally don’t need any fertilizer, you can give your trees a boost in the early spring and fall by fertilizing them with an all natural organic fertilizer that’s high in nitrogen like formula 16-4-8, or 12-4-8. Don’t fertilize your trees until they have experienced a year of growth.