Unique Features: The ‘Rubrum’ maple is native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida. The twigs, buds, flowers and seeds are all red on these maples, but the fall colors can vary. It likes moderate moisture but can tolerate wet sites; it is also known as the ‘Swamp maple’. The Bowhall cultivar grows into a columnar form, with dark green leaves that have 5 lobes. In the fall, the leaves change to shades yellow, orange, red, and burgundy. In our high pH soil most maples tend to develop chlorosis, or iron deficiency, which can be treated with iron and sulfur soil amendments. Maples start moving sap early, in the late winter to early spring, which makes them prone to ‘frost cracking’. This damages the circulatory system of the tree. To prevent this, wrap the tree from Thanksgiving until Easter. This ‘early awakening’ also necessitates an increase in the winter watering during this time.