Sun Valley Red Maple Live Plant – Acer rubrum – 1-2 ft Quart Pot – Outdoor Shade Tree

Overview

Introduce breathtaking seasonal beauty to your landscape with the magnificent Sun Valley Red Maple live plant. This highly sought-after deciduous tree, botanically known as Acer rubrum, is a cultivar of the native North American red maple, renowned for its exceptional fall color. Unlike its wild counterparts, the ‘Sun Valley’ variety is specifically bred for a consistent, brilliant scarlet display that will make your garden truly stand out. This Sun Valley Red Maple live plant is supplied in a convenient quart-sized pot, making it easy to establish in your yard or garden. Known for its vigorous growth and adaptability, the Sun Valley Red Maple is a perfect choice for adding shade, beauty, and a dramatic focal point to any outdoor space. Its robust nature and stunning aesthetic appeal make it a favorite among landscapers and home gardeners alike, promising years of visual enjoyment. The Red Maple, often called swamp, water, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees across eastern and central North America. The ‘Sun Valley’ cultivar improves upon this natural beauty, offering a reliable and vibrant fall foliage tree spectacle. Its mature height can reach around 100 feet in ideal conditions, providing ample shade and a grand presence. The tree’s petioles, twigs, and even seeds can exhibit reddish hues to varying degrees, but it is undoubtedly its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn that captures the most attention, transforming your garden into a fiery tableau.

Key Benefits

The Sun Valley Red Maple live plant offers numerous advantages, enhancing both the aesthetic and ecological value of your property:

• Spectacular Fall Color: The primary benefit of this tree is its consistently brilliant, deep scarlet autumn foliage. This vibrant display creates a dramatic focal point in any landscape, drawing the eye and providing unparalleled seasonal beauty, making it a true fall foliage tree.
• Adaptable & Hardy: Thrives across a wide range of climates, specifically USDA Zones 3-9, demonstrating excellent cold hardiness and tolerance to various soil conditions. This makes it a versatile choice for many regions and contributes to easy red maple care.
• Fast Growing Shade Tree: As a relatively fast-growing deciduous tree, the Sun Valley Red Maple live plant quickly establishes itself to provide welcome shade during hot summer months, contributing to energy efficiency for nearby structures. It’s an excellent shade tree for garden use.
• Wildlife Attraction: Its seeds and buds provide a food source for various wildlife, including squirrels and birds, contributing to local biodiversity and creating a lively garden environment.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, this tree requires minimal care, making it an excellent choice for gardeners seeking high impact with low effort. Regular watering during dry periods and occasional pruning are generally sufficient for healthy red maple care.
• Attractive Year-Round: Beyond its stunning fall display, the tree offers attractive bark, a pleasant form, and early spring flowers that add interest even before the leaves emerge, ensuring visual appeal throughout the seasons.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Ideal for use as a specimen tree, in groupings, along driveways, or as part of a mixed border. Its adaptability allows for diverse applications in landscape design, making it an excellent choice for a wide array of garden styles. Consider this beautiful Acer rubrum for sale for your next project.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Sun Valley Red Maple live plant is relatively straightforward, ensuring it thrives and delivers its full potential. This adaptable tree prefers full sun to partial shade, meaning it should receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth and the most vibrant fall color. While it can tolerate some shade, too much will diminish its characteristic scarlet hues. When planting, choose a location with well-draining soil. Red maples are not overly particular about soil type but prefer slightly acidic to neutral pH. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter to improve drainage, or sandy soils to enhance moisture retention. Proper site selection is crucial for the long-term health of your Acer rubrum for sale.

Watering is critical, especially during the first few years after planting. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Deep watering once or twice a week is better than frequent shallow watering, as it encourages deeper root growth. Established trees are more drought-tolerant but will benefit from supplemental watering during prolonged dry spells. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release tree and shrub fertilizer, following package instructions. Avoid over-fertilizing, which can lead to excessive leafy growth at the expense of root development. This detailed red maple care guide ensures optimal health. Pruning should primarily be done to remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches. The best time for pruning is late winter to early spring before new growth emerges, or in mid-summer after the leaves have fully developed. Avoid pruning in late spring or early summer when sap flow is heavy, as this can cause ‘bleeding’.

The fall foliage tree is hardy in USDA Zones 3-9, meaning it can withstand winter temperatures down to -40°F (-40°C). In colder zones, ensure adequate mulching around the base to protect roots. Common problems include leaf spots, cankers, and aphids, though these are typically not severe for healthy trees. Ensuring proper cultural conditions – adequate sunlight, water, and well-draining soil – is the best defense against pests and diseases. Monitor your tree regularly for any signs of stress or infestation, and address issues promptly with appropriate organic or chemical treatments as needed. With proper red maple care, your Sun Valley Red Maple will flourish and provide stunning visual interest for decades.

Size & Details

You will receive one Sun Valley Red Maple live plant, approximately 1-2 feet tall, planted in a quart-sized container. This size is ideal for ease of transport and successful transplanting into your garden. The tree is a live plant, ready to be established in its permanent location. While exact growth rates vary based on climate and care, red maples are known for their relatively fast growth, often adding 1-2 feet of height per year once established. Expect this tree to develop into a majestic shade tree for garden use, eventually reaching heights of 40-60 feet with a spread of 25-40 feet, though it can grow taller under optimal conditions. The ‘Sun Valley’ cultivar maintains a more upright, oval form compared to other red maples, making it suitable for various landscape designs.

The brilliant scarlet autumn foliage of this Acer rubrum for sale is its most striking feature. The tree typically begins to show its vibrant fall colors in late September to mid-October, depending on your specific climate zone. Its adaptability to a range of soil types and its hardiness in USDA Zones 3-9 make it a reliable choice for many regions across the United States. This young tree provides a fantastic opportunity to plant a long-lived specimen that will grow to be a significant feature in your garden for many years to come, offering both beauty and shade as a magnificent fall foliage tree.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Sun Valley Red Maple live plant get? A: The Sun Valley Red Maple typically grows to a height of 40-60 feet with a spread of 25-40 feet at maturity, though it can reach up to 100 feet in ideal conditions. It’s a relatively fast grower, adding 1-2 feet per year, making it an excellent shade tree for garden landscapes.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This Acer rubrum for sale is shipped in a quart-sized container, which is a perfect size for transplanting and establishing a healthy root system in your garden.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Sun Valley Red Maple is an outdoor deciduous tree, best suited for planting directly in the ground where it can reach its full size and display its stunning fall colors. It is not suitable as a houseplant.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For optimal growth and the most vibrant fall foliage, this fall foliage tree requires full sun to partial shade, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, once established, the Sun Valley Red Maple is considered relatively low-maintenance. It’s quite adaptable to various soil types and climates, making it a good choice for many gardeners. Consistent watering during dry periods is key for young trees, ensuring proper red maple care.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Sun Valley Red Maple live plant will arrive as a live plant in a quart-sized pot, carefully packaged to ensure its health and vitality during transit. It will be ready for immediate planting upon arrival.
• Q: When is the best time to plant this tree? A: The best time to plant a Sun Valley Red Maple is in the spring or fall. These seasons offer cooler temperatures and more consistent moisture, allowing the tree to establish its root system before extreme weather.
• Q: What’s the best soil for a fall foliage tree like this? A: Red maples prefer well-draining soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. They can tolerate a range of soil types, including clay and sand, as long as drainage is adequate. Amending with organic matter can improve soil conditions.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: Yes, the Sun Valley Red Maple is very cold hardy and thrives in USDA Zones 3-9, meaning it can withstand a wide range of winter temperatures. This hardiness simplifies red maple care in diverse climates.
• Q: Does this tree attract wildlife? A: Yes, the seeds and buds of the red maple provide a food source for squirrels, various bird species, and other small wildlife, contributing to the ecological diversity of your garden.