Cell Grown Red Maple Plants – Acer rubrum Saplings for Sale

×

Cell Grown Red Maple Plants – Acer rubrum Saplings for Sale with Outstanding Autumn Colour- 20-60cm Tall.

Acer rubrum is grown above all for its autumn display, with green summer foliage developing shades of yellow, orange, crimson and scarlet.^[2][3] These cell grown Red Maple plants are young saplings intended for planting cheaply in numbers, where they can eventually create a broad sweep of seasonal colour rather than the instant effect of a mature specimen tree. If you don’t want to go out and paint the town red, you can certainly go out and plant your land red…or yellow, orange and scarlet. Small reddish flowers appear on bare branches before the leaves emerge in spring,^[1] extending the seasonal interest beyond autumn.

They develop into substantial deciduous trees and cope well with moisture-retentive and heavier soils.^[1][2]

These Red Maple saplings are seed-grown, so the exact shade and intensity of autumn colour can vary between individual trees.^[2][3] This natural variation can give group plantings a mixture of yellow, orange and red rather than the uniform colour of a selected cultivar.

Also known as Red Maple, Scarlet Maple, Canadian Maple and Swamp Maple, Acer rubrum eventually becomes a large tree. A realistic mature size is around 15–20 m tall and 10–14 m wide, with some trees reaching about 25 m.^[4] The tallest currently recorded British specimen is 27 m, while exceptional European trees include a 32 m specimen in Belgium.^[5] The RHS also records the species as capable of reaching around 30 m.^[1]

For buyers looking for Red Maple for sale, our young cell-grown saplings are 20–60 cm tall and 1+ year old.

Red Maple Saplings for Woodland, Tree Belts and Seasonal Screening

Young Red Maple saplings can be planted in groups or rows to build long-term height, canopy and structure across a larger scheme. They can be used as a single species for a stronger block of autumn colour or mixed with other woodland tree saplings for a more varied planting.

As the crowns develop, Acer rubrum can also provide useful leafy screening; North Carolina State Extension specifically lists screening and buffer planting among its uses.^[2] These are deciduous screening trees, so the leaves fall in autumn and they should not be chosen where year-round privacy is required.

Acer rubrum is better allowed to develop naturally than maintained as a conventional clipped hedge. The RHS places it in pruning group 1, a group of trees that require very little pruning and are normally best left to develop their natural framework.^[7]

Cell Grown Trees for Wet Ground, Clay Soil and Cold UK Winters

Acer rubrum is particularly useful where a scheme requires trees for wet ground or trees for wet soil. It tolerates moist conditions and occasional flooding,^[2] although for UK cultivation the RHS recommends moist but well-drained ground.^[1]

These cell grown trees also grow on clay, loam and sandy soils.^[2] Acid to neutral soil is preferable, and the RHS specifically states that acid soil gives the best autumn colour.^[1] Strongly alkaline or heavily chalky ground is less suitable because high-pH conditions can cause chlorosis, resulting in pale foliage and poorer growth.^[3]

Acer rubrum grows in full sun or partial shade.^[1] Its RHS hardiness rating is H6. In practical terms, H6 means the species is considered hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe and is rated for absolute minimum winter temperatures of approximately -20°C to -15°C.^[8]

Important for horse owners: wilted Acer rubrum leaves are toxic to horses and can cause severe damage to red blood cells, potentially resulting in fatal red maple toxicosis.^[6] Red Maple should therefore not be planted where horses could gain access to wilted leaves, including foliage from fallen or storm-damaged branches.