32 WINTER 2015 ARBOR AGE www.arborage.com
TREE OF THE MONTH
Redpointe
Maple
Trade Name: Redpointe® Maple
Botanical Name: Acer rubrum 'Frank Jr.'
Plant Patent: #16769
Parentage: Selection by Harold Pellett in Minnesota
Family: Aceraceae
Introduction: 2008 by J. Frank Schmidt & Son, Co.
Hardiness Zone*: 3 – 9, selected for excellent cold hardiness
Height: 35 to 45 feet
Spread: 15 to 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium to fast, 20 feet in 10 years
Form: Narrow, oval
Bloom Period: Before leaves in March and April
Flower: Red clusters, small flowers
Fruit: Seedless
Spring Color: Reddish
Summer Foliage: Mid-green becoming dark green in summer
Autumn Foliage: Bright red color in early autumn
Winter Interest: Bark provides winter interest
Bark: Smooth, grayish-brown bark
becomes furrowed with age
Habitat: Grows well throughout the United States
Culture: Prefers well drained and slightly acid soil,
full sun, tolerant of heavily polluted air
Pest Problems: Leaf hoppers
Storm Resistance: Good to excellent
Salt Tolerance: Fair
Planting: Transplant bare root, B&B, or by container
Propagating: Softwood cuttings
Design Uses: Excellent street tree in northern locations
Companions: Use with perennial groundcovers
Other Comments: Excellent tree for city streets
Available From: Most large retail nurseries.
* For information about the USDA Hardiness Zone Map,
visit: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/index.html
These are the personal observations of the author, living in
New England — Zone 6. Leonard Phillips can be reached
via e-mail at lenphillips@on-line-seminars.com.
BY LEONARD PHILLIPS, ASLA EMERITUS
ALL
PHOTOS
PROVIDED
BY
J.
FRANK
SCHMIDT
&
SONS
CO.