Even though it ’s not aboriginal to Texas , the shantung maple ( Acer truncatum , USDA zones 4 to 8) is a astral performing artist across most of the United States Department of State . This Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree offers a trifecta of desirable qualities that make it suitable for most Texas landscapes : drought tolerance , heavyset size and stunning declivity leaf people of color .
Shantung maple are so adaptable to Texas dirt and the challenges of this state ’s climate that they have even earned the status of a " superstar " tree .
Shantung Maple Is a Texas Superstar Tree
From its native habitat in northern China , the shantung maple tree diagram has found a home in Texas . After 12 years of examination and landscape painting trial , Texas A&M University designated this tree as a Texas Superstar ™ tree in 2001 .
Before a industrial plant realize this appointment , it must demonstrate superior performance through some fairly tough arise condition that exist in Texas . During the testing full point , plants receive only minimum pre - planting grime preparation , restrained water and no pesticide .
Although Texas sure enough has plenty of wide , clear spaces and huge landscapes , yards are induce belittled in many urban and suburban region because of the increasing Mary Leontyne Price of body politic . Because of this , many trees are too large for these scaled - down landscape painting . The compact shantung maple is size - proportionate for smaller yards , which puts this tree at the top of many Texas homeowners ' must - have list .
Shantung Maple Characteristics
Shantung maples retick many box on the list of characteristic that Texans appear for when snitch for landscape painting trees , including :
to 25 feet with a 20 - ft ranch .
to pests and diseases .
through a kaleidoscope of vividness , starting with yellow that ’s disperse with red before turning orange and ending in fiery red .
purplish - red before grow to super C . This founder shantung maple another of its common names , purpleblow maple , because of the eye - catching new purple leafage as it screw up in the wind .
Shantung Maple Tree Care
- humidness :* * Although the USDA flora hardiness range for shantung maples is across zones 4 through 9 , zone 6 is the honeyed spot for optimal performance . The Panhandle and the Eastern two - third base of Texas is where these trees prosper , but they do not grow well in West Texas where the humidness is too low .
- Watering :* * Established tree diagram are drought - resistant , but tree diagram ( especially freshly transfer shantung maples ) need to be deeply watered during dry periods .
- Fertilizer :* * invalidate fertilise a newly planted tree diagram , waiting instead until the transplant has been established for at least six to eight month on its Modern site . A grime trial run determines exact nutrient penury , but in the absence of soil - test recommendation , fertilize a shantung maple in recent February with a slow - discharge fertilizer or constitutional eq . Measure the tree diagram ’s diameter 12 inches off the ground and apply 3 pounds of 19 - 5 - 9 plant food per inch of bole diameter .
- Sun Protection :* * Young trees need a piffling auspices from sunscald during their first three growing seasons , because the barque is still thin and has not built up its verboten corky layer . Cover the trunk of untried trees with corrugate plastic proboscis guard , commercial paper tree wraps or white fabric trunk wraps . Be sure to habituate light - colored wraps or guards and loosely cover the torso instead of tightly binding it .
Shantung Maple Cultivars
Although there are few shantung maple cultivars , two are worthy of note :
Johanssen of Metro Maples in Forth Worth introduced this cultivar to the trade . display the same suitable qualities of the mintage , Fire Dragon is drought , wind and ice tolerant . It also develop well on alkaline soils . dusk leaf color is red .
Worthington of Worthington Farms in Greenville , North Carolina introduced this cultivar . His original specimen grew 20 foundation tall in 10 days with absolutely no irrigation , which attests to the drouth allowance of this cultivar . tumble foliage color is orange - red .
