Tree 20 - 25 m tall Leaves: deeply lobed with orange to red fall color. Flowers: either male or female, borne on the same (monoecious) or different (dioecious) trees, yellow to red. Fruit: winged (samara), paired, 3 - 6 cm long, usually sterile. Bark: silvery gray. Twigs: grayish brown. Characteristics: intermediate of its parents.

Similar species: Acer x freemanii is a naturally occurring hybrid between A. saccharinum and Acer rubrum. It combines the faster growth rate, adaptability to many soil types, and deeply lobed leaves of A. saccharinum with the red fall color and stronger branch structure of A. rubrum.

Flowering: April

Habitat and ecology: This species tolerates a wide range of soils from moist to moderately dry and sandy to clay soils. It is found in old pastures, wooded areas and near streams.

Occurence in the Chicago region: native

Notes: Many cultivars of A. x freemanii have been selected for landscape use, including some with exceptional fall color or an upright growth habit.

Etymology: Acer is derived from a Latin word meaning sharp, which refers to the hardness of the wood. Freemanii is named after Oliver M. Freeman, the plant breeder who first developed the hybrid for commercial use.

Author: The Morton Arboretum