Unique Features: The Fall Fiesta maple is a heritage tree and will eventually be very large, as it can live 80 to 100 years.  It has an upright oval, symmetrically rounded form with thick, glossy dark green leaves that are resistant to wind tatter and scorch. The Fall Fiesta is not picky about soil pH, but is intolerant of heavy compacted soils that drain poorly. This will mean site selection and soil evaluation will need to be considered. Sugar maples are also known as rock maples because of the strength and durability of their wood. This characteristic, combined with the growth rate, means the pruning interval is about every 7 to 10 years.  Maples start moving sap early (late fall to early spring) and that makes them prone to ‘frost cracking’, which damages the circulatory system of the tree. To prevent this, wrap the tree from about Thanksgiving until Easter. This ‘early awakening’ also necessitates an increase in the winter watering at this time.