Fall color is one of the main reasons I garden. If you followed this website for a while you may remember the Fall Color project I hosted where Garden Bloggers from all over posted about their fall color and we shared our autumn experiences. For me few trees have more outstanding fall color than the maple. Red maples and Sugar maples have some especially brilliant fall colors. Over the years these trees have been hypridized and have created some amazing cultivars that are well worth considering for your landscape if fall color is also your thing!
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I put together a chart with some of the popular varieties of maple trees and their color tendencies which you can see below. The Acer x freemanii maples are hybrids of the A. rubrum (Red Maple) and the A. saccharinum (Silver Maple). The first tree we ever planted at our first house was an ‘October Glory’ maple tree. I also planted a ‘Brandywine’ and some Acer rubrum species trees. I’m beginning the hunt to start adding maple trees to my current property to replace a bunch of box elder trees which I find to be pretty poor trees for fall color.
I believe this is a Sugar maple in Cades Cove over by the Mill. It would be interesting to compare this photo with one from 2025 if that tree is still there today! The climate in the Smokey Mountains may make Sugar maples more successful in that area. I took that photo way back in 2003!
Oranges and Reds
My favorite maple colors tend to lean toward the orange and red specturm. I like the mix of the two and the gorgeous foliage of the sugar maples. Unfortunately Sugar maples don’t always do well here in Tennessee to the heat. We’re in zone 7 which tends to be the southern most area for Sugar maples.
You can check out the chart below but I’m targeting the October Glory®, Autumn Blaze®, and the Armstrong Gold® varieties first if I can find them. October Glory and Autumn Blaze should get the color spectrum I like while the Armstrong Gold® is a tall and narrow cultivar that would be great to put along side of our driveway. It gets 40-50 ft tall but typically only spreads 12-15 ft wide.
There’s nothing wrong with planting a straight species version of maple tree too. I’ve planted several Red Maples over the years and they have done amazing. Avoid silver maple trees due to the tendency for surface level roots that can be both tripping and mowing hazards.
Find Maple Trees and other plants for your garden here: TN Nursery Red Maple Trees.
Consider the Site before Picking a Maple
When picking a large and long lived tree it’s important to keep the site in mind. You want the tree to fit the spot and not take over. If you have the space they make excellent shade trees but opt for smaller cultivars if you don’t have the room.
Also it helps to know your soil type so you can match the tree to it’s best growing conditions. Fortunately most maple trees can tolerate a range of soil types, including some clay, which is important here in Tennessee.
| Cultivar / Hybrid | Typical Fall Color | Best Zones | Soil Preferences | Height × Width (ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Maple Acer rubrum | Red to orange-red; color can vary by region and soil | 3-9 | Moist, acidic; tolerates some clay; dislikes alkaline & drought | 40–60 × 30–50 |
| Sugar Maple Acer saccharum | Orange, gold, sometimes red; very long-lasting | 3–8 | Deep, moist, well-drained; sensitive to heat, drought, and compaction | 60–75 × 40–50 |
| Autumn Blaze® (Acer × freemanii) | Fiery orange-red, very consistent | 3–8 | Moist, slightly acidic; tolerates clay better than most maples | 50 × 40 |
| Autumn Radiance® (Acer × freemanii) | Bright orange-red, earlier color | 3–8 | Moist, well-drained; avoid alkaline | 50 × 40 |
| Autumn Fantasy® (Acer × freemanii) | Orange to red, dependable | 3–8 | Prefers moist loam; urban tolerant | 50 × 40 |
| Brandywine® (Acer rubrum) | Scarlet to orange-red, long-lasting; fewer samaras | 4–9 | Moist, acidic; tolerates clay moderately; dislikes alkaline | 35–40 × 25–35 |
| Celebration® (Acer × freemanii) | Yellow to orange-red | 4–8 | Handles clay, compaction, best with drainage | 45 × 35 |
| Scarlet Sentinel® (Acer × freemanii) | Orange-red to scarlet; columnar | 4–8 | Moist, well-drained; some clay tolerance | 45 × 25 |
| October Glory® (Acer rubrum) | Orange-red, late to turn, long-lasting | 4–9 | Moist, acidic; dislikes alkaline & drought | 40–50 × 35–45 |
| Armstrong Gold® (Acer rubrum) | Gold to orange-red; narrow | 4–9 | Moist, acidic; needs drainage | 40–50 × 12–15 |
| Sun Valley (Acer rubrum) | Scarlet shifting toward orange | 4–8 | Moist, acidic; leafhopper resistant | 40 × 30 |
| Legacy Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) | Strong orange with gold tones | 4–8 | Deep, moist, well-drained; dislikes heat & compaction | 50 × 35 |
| Green Mountain® Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) | Golden orange, sometimes red | 3–7 | Moist, rich soils; less heat-tolerant | 60 × 40 |
| Armstrong (Acer rubrum) | Yellow-gold to orange-red; upright | 4–9 | Moist, acidic soils | 50–60 × 15–20 |
| Autumn Spire® (Acer rubrum) | Gold-orange to red; upright oval | 4–9 | Moist, acidic; good urban tolerance | 50 × 25 |
No matter which way you go on Maple trees you can always be assured to have some amazing fall color!
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