If you’re lucky enough to have room for a larger tree, check out Green Mountain sugar maple.
It is a fast-growing and stately tree with thick, leathery dark-green leaves that cast a cool and soothing filtered shade.
Its leaves are resistant to tattering in the Northwest’s frequent wind storms, keeping the tree looking its best throughout the summer months.
In the fall, its leaves transform to rich orange and scarlet red. It is best used as a focal point in the garden. With its uniform and even growth habit, it’s also an excellent choice for group plantings or along a boulevard.
Sugar maples grow best in rich, fertile, well-drained soil with exposure to full sun for the most intense fall color. They are not especially drought tolerant and do best with regular summer watering. Prune to prevent rubbing and crossing branches on young trees. Once they start to mature, very little pruning is needed.
This tree has a pleasant upright habit that should reach 45 feet tall and 35 feet wide in 10 years. Fully mature trees can reach 65 feet tall and 45 feet wide, eventually forming a full, upright oval crown.
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