How to Plant and Grow a Maple

Maples are the premier trees for providing shade and dramatic fall color. But if you think maples are only showy for their leaves, think again. Some types, such as the paperbark maple and coral bark Japanese maple, display intriguing branch color and texture. Other species, such as the red maple, display brightly colored flower clusters. Happily, there's a maple tree for just about every size landscape—from smaller varieties that stay below 20 feet tall to large species that often reach 100 feet or more.

As if more than 130 maple species weren't enough, plant breeders continue to bring new species and cultivars to the market. Some introductions boast all the great attributes of a large maple while maturing at only 20 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. These small but mighty maples are great for suburban landscapes, providing shade, brilliant fall leaf color, and the year-round presence of a tree that's easy to grow in a small space. And you don’t need a backyard to plant a maple tree—some Japanese maples are even suitable to be grown in containers, and they are popular to be grown as bonsai, too.

Where to Plant a Maple Tree

Depending on the variety of maple, plant it in a location with full sun or part shade and well-draining, rich soil. Most maples succeed in a wide soil pH range but slightly acidic soil is best.

Maples come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are tall or low-growing, wide-spreading or narrow and columnar, round, or mounded. The growth rate also varies depending on the species. Adapt the form and size of the maple you plant to the landscape use. There are many places where you can plant a maple: as a specimen in the center of a lawn, a patio tree, or a border accent. Several maples in a row make good hedges or privacy screens. Dwarf varieties are suitable container plants.

How and When to Plant a Maple Tree

Spring or fall is the best time to plant maples. Dig a planting hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Position the tree in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil. If the planting soil is slow-draining, plant the maple so the top of the root ball is about 2 inches above the surrounding soil to facilitate good drainage. Water the newly planted tree regularly during the first year.

Maple Care Tips

Maples are at home in different habitats around the world, and thus their growing conditions are not all the same. Purchase your maple from a reputable local nursery that specializes in varieties well-suited to your area.

Light

Generally, maples grow best in a planting site with full sun or part shade. Some species, such as Japanese maple, grow best in filtered light where their leaves are protected from direct sunlight, which may cause leaf scorch.

Soil and Water

Maple prospers in moist, porous, well-drained, nutrient-rich soil although they grow well in a vast range of soil types. A few species, such as silver maple, thrive in moist to wet soil. The pH should be between 5.0 and 7.0. In alkaline soil, the trees are more prone to suffer nutrient deficiency.

Watering at least 1 inch per week in a wide circle around the tree is a must for newly planted maples during their first year of growth. Covering the root zone with a 2-inch-thick layer of mulch prevents soil moisture loss. Some established maples tolerate moderate drought.

Temperature and Humidity

The hardiness of maples varies; some are only hardy to Zone 5, but others tolerate winter temperatures as low as those in Zone 3. The same applies to heat-tolerance. Several Japanese maple varieties have been bred especially for hot climates, preferably hot and arid. There are also maple species that prosper in a humid climate, such as bigleaf maple (Acer macrofolium), which is native to the Pacific Northwest and thrives in moist conditions.

Fertilizer

If planted in rich, fertile soil, established maple trees typically do not need fertilizer, especially if you regularly add a thick layer of hardwood mulch below the canopy (but without the mulch being directly piled up against the tree trunk). Young trees benefit from the application of a slow-release shrub and tree fertilizer in the spring.

Pruning

As the growth rate of maple varies, so does the pruning to maintain a desired size or improve the branching structure of the tree. Japanese maples have their own specific pruning requirements. All other maples should be pruned in mid- to late summer. Unlike other deciduous trees, pruning maples in the winter or early spring causes the tree to bleed its sugary sap. This is not only messy but makes it vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Potting and Repotting a Maple Tree

Only dwarf varieties of Japanese maple are suitable to be grown in containers, Use a heavyweight container that does not easily topple over. The size should be at the maximum twice the diameter of the tree’s root ball and the pot should be as deep as the nursery container. Make sure the container has large drainage holes and fill it with a combination of well-draining potting mix and compost. Keep in mind that container plants require more frequent watering and fertilization than plants in the landscape.

Although the tree is winter-hardy in cold climates, containers expose the roots to the cold. Keep the Japanese maple outdoors all winter but insulate the pot by sinking the container in the ground or by placing it in a second, larger pot to create a planting silo. Another option is to wrap the container with bubble wrap.

Repotting will not be required often, as Japanese maple is a slow grower and prospers even when the roots fit snugly in the pot. Once it has outgrown the container, repot the tree to a larger size with fresh potting mix and compost.

Pests and Problems

Common pests of maples include Japanese beetles, potato leafhoppers, Asian longhorned beetle, and bagworm. Fungal leaf spots including tar spot, anthracnose, verticillium wilt, bacterial leaf scorch, canker, and collar rot are diseases found on maples. Not all maple species are equally susceptible to pests, diseases, and other problems. What all maples have in common, though, is a thin bark that is easily damaged mechanically and gets cracks, which then offers an entryway for pests and diseases.

Generally, fast-growing maples (red and silver maples) have soft wood and are more prone to breakage in ice storms than slow-growing maples with hard wood, including Japanese maple and trident maple.

How to Propagate a Maple Tree

Unless a maple variety is protected by a plant patent, it is possible to propagate it from a cutting. In midsummer or in warmer climates in midfall, take a 4-inch cutting from the tips of a healthy tree. Remove all the leaves from the lower portion of the cutting. Using a sharp knife, scrape about 1 inch of the bark on the lower stem and dust it thickly with rooting hormone.

Fill a 4-inch pot with damp potting mix and poke a hole in the center with a pencil or a stick. Insert the cutting 2 inches deep into the potting medium. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag or a milk jug with the bottom cut out. Keep the cutting evenly moist and out of direct sunlight. When the cutting has rooted, which you can check by gently wiggling it, place it in a sunny location and let it grow into a strong sapling before transplanting it into the landscape. In locations with cold winters, bury the pot in a garden bed from late fall to spring to insulate the roots from the freezing temperatures.

Types of Maple Trees

'Beni Kawa' Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Beni-Kawa' features small green leaves that turn golden yellow in fall. Its stems bear reddish tones in winter. It grows 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Zones 6-9

'Beni Schichihenge' Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Beni Schichihenge' bears green leaves edged in pink and cream. They turn shades of yellow in fall. It grows 8 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-9

'Bloodgood' Japanese Maple

This cultivar of Acer palmatum is among the most popular Japanese maples thanks to its deeply lobed, dark red leaves that turn bright red in autumn. It grows 15 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-8

'Crimson Queen' Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Crimson Queen' offers arching branches and finely textured reddish-purple foliage. It grows only 12 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-8

'Dissectum Atropurpureum' Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Atropurpureum' bears broad, arching branches with finely textured reddish-purple leaves. It grows 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Zones 6-8

'Villa Taranto' Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Villa Taranto' bears spidery leaves that start pink and fade to bright green in summer, then transform to yellow in fall. It grows 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-8

'Higasayama' Japanese Maple

This variety of Acer palmatum bears green leaves marked in pink and white. They turn shades of gold in fall. The tree grows 15 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-8

Full-Moon Maple

'Aconitifolium' is a dwarf cultivar of another Japanese maple species, Acer japonicum. It bears deeply lobed, almost feathery leaves that turn yellow, red, and orange in fall. It grows 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 5-8

Golden Full-Moon Maple

'Aureum' is a cultivar of the Japanese maple Acer shirasawanum. It produces large, pleated leaves that are tinted gold and perfect for adding light to a shady spot. It grows 20 feet tall and wide. Zone 5-7

Paperbark Maple

Acer griseum bears peeling, orange-brown bark reminiscent of a river birch on a small tree that features red-orange fall leaf color. It grows 30 feet tall and wide. Zones 4-8

Red Maple

Acer rubrum has earned its name for its bright red autumn color. It's native to North America and grows 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Zones 3-9

Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum is among the easiest to grow of all maples. The tree, which is native to North America, is also called hard maple. It grows 70 feet tall. Popular cultivars include ‘Green Mountain’, ‘Apollo’, and ‘Autumn Fest’. Zones 4-8.

Threeflower Maple

Acer triflorum is a delightful small tree with attractive peeling bark and mid-green leaves that turn bold orange and yellow in autumn. It grows 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Zones 5-7

Variegated Hornbeam Maple

This cultivar of the hornbeam maple, Acer carpinifolium, features white-streaked bark and foliage liberally streaked with white. It grows 20 feet tall and wide. Zones 6-8