The red maple announces its presence in early spring with a huge haze of red, produced by a myriad of tiny red flowers borne on the tips of the twigs all over the tree. This beautiful sight can be see at a distance and is one of the earliest signs of spring in many areas of the country. In a similar fashion, the brilliant red color of this red maple signal the onset of fall. ‘Schlesingeri’ is an old cultivar but one of the earliest by as much as a month.
Type: Deciduous tree.
Outstanding Feature: Very early, brilliant red autumn coloration. Leaves have white undersides, making them very attractive off the tree as well as on it.
Form: Elliptical.
Growth Rate: Fast.
Bloom: Tiny red flowers in early spring followed by red winged fruit (samaras).
Size: 50’ H x 40’ W.
Light: Full sun.
Soil: Moist, average soil.
Hardiness: Zones 4-9.
Care: In areas where snow and ice storms are common, prune to encourage a strong framework with a single trunk and branches growing perpendicular to the trunk. Annually remove weak branches and those with narrow crotches at the trunk.
Pests and Diseases: No significant pests or diseases.
Propagation: Trees may be grown from seed but will vary greatly in characteristics and may not have the autumn coloration as the parent tree. Graphed trees ensures consistency.
Comment: Good subject for bonsai.
Karen Meyers
hello. I live in N.Y. State , plant hardiness zone 5 to 6. I have a collection of Red Maple cultivars on my property for fall coloration. ” Red Sunset” turns a nice orange red but not great. “Autumn Blaze” turns a very bright red orange, quite beautiful. “October Glory” turns a very strong cherry red . I just planted “Pacific Sunset” last year and maybe this year it will be colorful. I would like to plant “Autumn Flame”, “Burgundy Bell”,and “Schlesingeri”. Where can I order these cultivars? Are there other cultivars out there that turn cherry red?
Raymond. You might want to try a rubrum variety by the name of ‘Sun Valley’ It is one of the newer crosses between Autumn Flame and Red Sunset. Colors up early in the Fall with brilliant red/orange fall color.
It’s sister tree is Somerset which is a cross between Autumn Flame and October Glory. It also has striking Fall color. Another new variety from J. Frank Schmidt which shows good promise is Acer rubrum ‘Red Pointe’. Go to JFS.com for more info. Good luck!
Mike