Freeman Maple is a hybrid born from deliberate crossbreeding at the National Arboretum, combining the best traits of red maple and silver maple into one exceptionally adaptable shade tree. Growing 40 to 70 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide, it thrives in hardiness zones 3 through 8 and handles everything from clay soil to standing water with equal grace. The real appeal lies in its showy fall color inherited from red maple, paired with the rapid growth and environmental flexibility of silver maple, all while staying tough in urban and rural landscapes alike.
Partial Sun
Moderate
3-8
840in H x 480in W
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High
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Freeman Maple inherits structural strength and fiery autumn foliage from its red maple parent, while gaining the rapid growth rate and climate adaptability that made silver maple so widely planted. Young trees may attract leafhoppers and scale, but established specimens develop genuine drought tolerance despite preferring moist, acidic soils with good drainage. It has no serious insect or disease problems once mature, making it low-maintenance enough for street tree plantings, rain gardens, and shade purposes across a wide climate range.
Freeman Maple serves as an excellent shade tree for residential and commercial landscapes, thrives in rain gardens where its tolerance for wet soil is an asset, and works reliably as a street tree in cities where soil compaction and variable moisture are facts of life. Its ability to handle both drought and wet conditions makes it unusually flexible for urban forestry applications where soil conditions vary block to block.
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“Oliver M. Freeman of the National Arboretum made the first controlled crosses between red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum), creating a hybrid that would eventually redefine what was possible in a single ornamental tree. Rather than accepting the flaws of either parent in isolation, Freeman recognized that red maple offered stunning structure and fall color while silver maple delivered adaptability and vigor. His breeding work resulted in cultivars that combined these complementary strengths, with 'Autumn Blaze' eventually becoming one of the most widely recognized Freeman maple selections in North American horticulture.”