Acer Freemanii Autumn Blaze Options Explained
120-180cm+: 5L pot, usually 140+cm
150-180cm : These are usually 2-3 years old and will be 150-180cm tall depending on weather and time of year purchased. Pruned to be Half Standard.
180-240cm : These are usually 2-3 years old and will be 180-240cm tall depending on weather and time of year purchased. Pruned to be Half Standard.
(RB)Girth 8-10cm: Around 240-300cm tall or more. Standard i.e. 180-200cm of clear stem.
Acer Freemanii Autumn Blaze aka Jeffersed or Freeman Maple
Despite the name of this tree, It will not spontaneously combust after Summer. What it does describe is one of the best intense autumnal colour ranges that rivals the amount of paint colours your female partner considers before picking one. Autumn Blaze is a vigorous hybrid which doesn't mean it combines a petrol engine with an electric but that it is a combination of other trees. The vigorous bit describes how fast it grows which is very above average. Hopefully, you are beginning to see why it has the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
The leaves are cut more than liberal policies during a conservative government and we suggest not forming an emotional attachment to the foliage because they will always leave. The yellow-green foliage summer foliage turns red, orange and then yellow in autumn. The only time this sequence of colours could be more attention-getting is if you see it in your urine stream.
If you want to be reminded of Charlie Brown by a tree then you need to buy the Autumn Blaze because it has a dense oval head too. It could be described as more dents than the tin foil hats at a conspiracy theorist's convention.
There are two ways of getting interesting bare branches in your garden. The first is to get a circus-trained grizzly to climb up and perform tricks, the other is to plant this tree. The silver-grey bark is like your savings account in that it adds year-round interest.
The Acer Rubrum has similar colours but the Autumn Blaze is considered more successful as Rubrum can struggle to get Manganese unless the PH value is low. The only way you can get more red in your garden is to open a popular used book store.
Expect a 10-year height and spread of 6 x4m but could go on to grow twice that in both directions.
Planting Acer Freemanii Autumn Blaze
Very easy to grow in a wide range of well-drained soils and performs well in full sun or partial shade. Not so keen on shallow chalk and mature trees are considered drought-hardy. Suitable for almost any UK location in terms of hardiness as will tolerate temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees centigrade. The branches can be considered slightly brittle so very exposed sites with persistent high winds may cause some damage.
Pruning Freemanii Autumn Blaze
A low maintenance tree so pruning will only be required to cut out dead, diseased and crossing-over branches. Pruning to prevent a double leader can be beneficial.
Somewhere Between Dull And Useful Information About Acer Freemanii Autumn Blaze
A cross between Acer rubrum x Acer Saccharinum so an alternative name could have been Acer FreemanSacRub.
Described by some growers as dramatic, it will only storm off in a huff if the wind is strong enough to blow it over.
FAQ Questions About Acer Freemanii Autumn Blaze
Q) Is this a good gift for pyromaniacs?
A) Yes, if they have a constant need to be near a blaze then this is the safest one. You could also try getting them a blazer but we found they don't grow very well in the garden.
Ornamental Tree Roots In The Shade e.g. Behind A Fence
It is more important that that foliage (posh term for leaves) receives the sunlight than the roots. So if the canopy of your ornamental tree can sunbathe but the bottom of your tree thinks there has been a nuclear winter then that is ok. You might want to ensure you have good drainage as water and no sun is the start of algae and other such issues.
Do I Need To Stake My Ornamental Tree?
Our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Planting In The Corner Of A Garden
Air and light is reduced in this location which could promote fungus and bacterial issues. If the corner is of the house and a fence then you also have leeching issues to contend with from cement and wood preservatives. Also when it rains, that area would experience higher water levels so we advise against it unless the plant is very hardy.
