Armstrong™ Freeman Maple

Acer × freemanii 'Armstrong'

This fast-growing shade tree is a great solution for narrow spaces in urban or suburban settings, thanks to its distinctively tight, columnar form with branches that grow nearly upright. A hybrid between the red maple and the silver maple, it combines the rapid growth and adaptability of its silver maple parent with the stronger wood and better fall color potential of the red maple. The leaves are a medium green through summer, resembling the deeply cut shape of a silver maple leaf, and turn an orange-yellow to red in the autumn, providing a stately vertical accent for the landscape. Even in winter, the mature tree offers interest with its attractive, silvery-gray bark.

Type

Tree

Height

-70

Width

-15

Origin

MO Native

Foliage Type

Deciduous

Sunlight

Full Sun

Water Requirements

Average; best in well-drained, moist, organically rich soil, tolerates some drought once established

Foliage Color

Medium green in summer; orange-yellow to red in fall

Flower Color

Reddish-green (insignificant)

Resists

Deer
Rabbits

Attracts

Bees
Birds
Pollinators

Design Use

Rain Garden / Wet Sites
Privacy / Screening

Special Traits

Fall Interest
Winter Interest
Pet Friendly

Hardiness Zones

3–9

Notes

Care: Pruning should focus on early structural training in the young tree to ensure a strong central leader and prevent poor branch crotches. Pruning is best done in late winter when the tree is dormant.
Soil & Establishment: It tolerates heavy clay soils and even occasionally wet soils, making it highly adaptable for our region. Provide ample and consistent moisture during the first two growing seasons to ensure a deep, established root system and prevent leaf scorch during a St. Louis summer.
Fertilizing: A light application of a slow-release, granular tree fertilizer in early spring is recommended to support its fast growth rate.
Pests & Diseases: Young trees can be susceptible to leafhoppers, borers, and scale. Keep an eye out for verticillium wilt, which is a serious fungal disease that can be fatal.
Fruit/Berry Production: This is a female clone, so it does produce fruit (winged samaras), which may be noticeable in spring.
Habitat: This is a hybrid species and does not occur in the wild; its parent species (Acer rubrum and Acer saccharinum) are both native to North America, including Missouri.
Wildlife: While flowers are insignificant ornamentally, they do attract insect pollinators like bees in early spring.
Plant Uses: Shade tree, street tree, avenue planting, vertical accent, or for narrow spaces where a typical wide-spreading shade tree is unsuitable.
Other: The original specimen was discovered in Ohio and propagated in the late 1940s, valued for its unique, fastigiate form.