I have a maple tree that I think is a sugar maple, but I don't know what the cultivar name is for the tree.

I'd like to post photos of fall color, but I don't want to add them to the wrong database page.

It has a spreading top growth and has beautiful golden and orange fall color. During the growing season, the foliage is almost a purple color.

Here are a few photos ... not the best, but I hope they will help with identification ...

Photo of tree just as it is leafing out in spring taken in mid-April. It kind of gives you an idea of the architecture of the tree.



Photo after the tree is fully leafed out later in April. The foliage stays this color all season



New foliage



Fall foliage






Thank you in advance for your help.

Pretty sure it's not a sugar maple. I've never seen a sugar maple with purple leaves year round.

Thank you ...

I was just guessing. All of the other maple descriptions reported the trees as having more of columnar growth habit.

Ok ... what kind of maple is it ?

Maybe a Crimson King Norway Maple?

Daisy ...

I think you may be right.

It has the right habit and foliage color.

The description on the University of Arkansas site says that 'Crimson King' is is one of several maroon-leafed Norway maple clones, but it is by far the most common.

https://www.uaex.edu/yard-gard...

That was my first thought also but got busy and forgot to post it here.

Thank you ... I posted the photos to that database page, so you can see better photos than the ones I put up in this thread.

Lyn, from your link:

"The deep maroon color of the leaves persists throughout the growing season. When the leaves are removed from the stem, a couple dots of white latex will be visible. This characteristic and the thicker texture of the Norway maple leaf is an easy way to separate this species from the sugar maple, which has a similarly shaped leaf. Crimson King completely lacks fall color, turning from maroon to singed-looking gray-black as fall progresses."

Several other references also say that 'Crimson King' lacks fall colour, which doesn't seem to tie in with your tree. Have you checked for the white dots of latex?

Hi Sue ...

No I haven't checked for the dots ... Would they show up in fall ?

but I did find that the references were mixed about fall color.

The tree does not have the right architecture for the sugar maple trees I have researched.

Do you know what kind of maple it might be ?

Crimson King Maples do turn bronze in the fall. I'd go take a photo but all the leaves are on the ground after our wind storm the other day.

It could still be a purple leaved Norway maple, there are several different ones and some may have better fall colour than others. Often they are just referred to as 'Crimson King' whatever the actual cultivar. 'Royal Red' is one that is said to have better fall colour than 'Crimson King'.

Sue ...

I just Googled 'Royal Red' and my tree never has the red fall foliage I saw in the images for 'Royal Red'.

@DaisyI

Could you look at the fall foliage photos I posted to 'Crimson King' and tell me what you think ? Thank you.

'Royal Red' is supposed to be yellowish brown in fall. Can you post examples of the red fall foliage you saw, Lyn? The point I was really trying to make was that with several dark leaved cultivars it is hard to pinpoint a specific one reliably enough to give it a cultivar label.

Sue, I've looked at more photos and more sites. You are right. I've looked at so many photos of 'Crimson King' and 'Royal Red' that at this point, I am back to square one. I don't know which maple tree I have in my yard ...

I'll look for the dots next year.

Do you think the photos should be moved to 'Royal Red'. I don't know. I just like the tree and the photos ...

You could just put it under Acer platanoides if that seems to be the consensus. There is at least one hybrid that has purple leaves too, I don't know if it has the latex.

Thanks, Sue. Acer platanoides doesn't seem to have the right tree architecture. However, it is one of the parents in the cross for both 'Crimson King' and 'Royal Red', which are a cross of a norway maple and a sugar maple.

I think I'll leave the photos where they are until I can check for the latex.

Thank you for your help. Now, I am really curious about which cultivar Mrs. J planted ..

I'll continue to research when I have time and if I think the photos need to be moved to 'Royal Red', I request that they be moved.

Both 'Royal Red' and 'Crimson King' are cultivars of Acer platanoides. Where did you see it suggested they are hybrids? The thing is it could be neither cultivar, there are other purple leaved Norway and other maples. The only other thing I can suggest is to find a specialist nursery if you have one nearby, and show them a leaf and some pictures.

RoseBlush1 said:

I think I'll leave the photos where they are until I can check for the latex.

If you don't know that your tree is, in fact, 'Crimson King' the pictures don't belong in that entry. The general maple entry, Maple (Acer), would be a more appropriate place for them.

Sue ...

Both 'Royal Red' and 'Crimson King' are cultivars of Acer platanoides. Where did you see it suggested they are hybrids?

As I did my research, I visited several sites and did not record every site I visited. I cannot tell you specifically where I found this information. I can tell you that it came up several times.

Several sites also said it was a seedling of A. platanoides 'Schwedleri" nigrum.

Acer platanoides 'Schwedleri': 'Schwedleri' Norway Maple1

The only other thing I can suggest is to find a specialist nursery if you have one nearby, and show them a leaf and some pictures.

I live in a small, remote town in the mountains of northern California. The chances of my finding anyone nearby with the expertise to identify the tree are nil. I can't even find someone with enough expertise to prune the tree, or any of my other trees, properly.

@KentPfeiffer ...

I thought I knew for sure until Sue mentioned another maple that had the same plant architecture. Now, I am no longer certain. I know it is not the traditional tree identified as a norway maple because it does not have the same shape, so I know the photos do not belong on that page.

As I mentioned above, I researched several sites before deciding to post the photos to 'Crimson King'. Some sites say that CK does not have remarkable fall foliage. Others say it can be yellow-to-bronze.

https://www.grimmsgardens.com/...

https://www.reference.com/home...

There are so many variables that can impact plant performance, it seems reasonable to me, that it is possible to have mixed reports.

Do you have the Admin rights to move the photos ? I don't mind having them moved to the generic maple page. The tree was planted by the previous owner of my home and as I mentioned above, there is no way I can get an expert identification.