Maple Autumn Blaze

* Common name: Maple Autumn Blaze

* Botanical name: Acer x freemanii ‘Jeffersred’

* What it is: A shade tree that’s a cross of two maple species, combining the great fall color of our native red maple with the durability of silver maple.

Autumn Blaze is a fast-grower that’s tolerant of drought and striking in fall when the green leaves turn orange-red.

* Size: Grows in a broad, upright pyramid to 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide in 25 years.

* Where to use: Most important is picking an open spot that has adequate room – both up and out – to accommodate a 40- to 50-foot tree. Autumn Blaze is striking enough in fall to warrant specimen treatment, such as the centerpiece(s) of a large front yard or directly out from a key window. Tolerates damp or dry soil. Grows best in full sun.

* Care: Keep the roots consistently damp the first 2 to 3 seasons to establish the roots, then the tree should be able to stand on its own without hose help.

Remove lowest limbs as the tree grows. Also remove any crossing or unwanted branches in the early years, ideally in late winter when the tree is leafless.

Fertilizer usually not needed, especially if you’re fertilizing a lawn nearby.

* Great partners: Russian cypress and dwarf nandina are good evergreen underplantings. Golden creeping sedum is a good carpet-like perennial groundcover, and St. Johnswort is a good shrub underplanting.