Maple, (Red) October Glory Acer rubrum 'October Glory' Height: 40 feet Spread: 35 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 4b Other Names: Swamp Maple, Scarlet Maple Description: A popular selection of red maple with good form and excellent red and orange fall color year after year; a shapely large shade tree, perfect for larger landscapes, makes a fine street or boulevard tree; Ornamental Features Maple, (Red) October Glory is primarily valued in the landscape for its decidedly oval 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 brick red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape. Landscape Attributes Maple, (Red) October Glory is a deciduous tree with a shapely oval form. 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) October Glory is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Maple, (Red) October Glory will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 35 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 7 feet from 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 80 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. Special Attributes Rubrum (Red) Maples generally have few to no seeds in the Pacific Northwest Desert with proper watering through the growing season. If it seeds the samaras, commonly known as helicopters for their winged shape. The size of seeds are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long.
