Planting for autumn colours

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 11, 14 August 1984, Page 13

Planting for autumn

colours

. It's said that every small town in New England has a Maple Street, named for the tall handsome trees that are such a feature of that part of the United States. The annual display of blazing red and orange autumn leaves has long been a recognised tourist attraction in states like Vermont and New Hampshire. The most common and best known of the many American maple species are the sugar maple (Acer Saccharum) and the red maple (Acer Rubrum). Both are very different from the tree known to most New Zealanders as maple, which is the much smaller and more delicate Japanese maple (Acer Palmatum). The American species have never been common in New Zealand, but there are quite large specimens recorded in various parts of the country. Although they don!t grow as tall or give quite such a brilliant display of autumn foliage here as they do in their native land, they're well worth planting as an uncommon and high quality tree, attractive at all times of the year. The red maple can be quietly spectacular when covered in its red flowers in spring, and in most autumns the leaf colour is a brilliant dark red early in the season.

Though eventually a big tree, its upright growth makes it suitable for the average garden without taking up too much room. The sugar , maple is perhaps less happy in New Zealand, evidently preferring the hot summers and cold winters of a continental climate, but is still reasonably fast-growing and usually colours a good orange or yellow in autumn. The Silver Maple (Acer Saccharinum) is another eastern American species available in New Zealand, but its vigour and large size limit it to large gardens or park situations. All the above species are growing in Ohakune and show promise of doing well.

Grant

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