Maple, (Red) Red Rocket Acer rubrum 'Red Rocket' Height: 40 feet Spread: 10 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 3b Other Names: Swamp Maple, Scarlet Maple Description: A choice shade tree for smaller areas, with a narrowly upright habit of growth, that relaxes with age; blazing red fall color with orange highlights, small red flowers line the bare branches in spring; needs acid fertilizer; improved hardiness Ornamental Features Maple, (Red) Red Rocket is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It features showy clusters of red flowers along the branches in early spring before the leaves. It has green deciduous foliage which emerges red in spring. The lobed leaves turn an outstanding red in the fall. The furrowed silver bark and red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape. Landscape Attributes Maple, (Red) Red Rocket is a dense deciduous tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics. Maple, (Red) Red Rocket is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Maple, (Red) Red Rocket will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a high canopy of foliage that sits well above the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more. This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. This plant should be periodically fertilized throughout the active growing season with a specially-formulated acidic fertilizer. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.
