Different Kinds of Maple Trees

Japanese Maple

• The Japanese maple tree has interesting foliage. Its fall colors range from yellow to red to purple. The Japanese maple can grow up to 25 feet tall and it can spread up to 25 feet wide. The tree needs partial to full sun and a sandy soil type to thrive.

Sugar Maple

• Sugar maple trees have green summer foliage with a mixture of red, orange and yellow in the fall. The tree needs partial shade to full sun and can grow up to 120 feet tall. The sap of this tree can be boiled down to produce maple sugar and syrup.

Silver Maple

• The silver maple's summer foliage is green on top and silver on bottom. The tree can reach up to 70 feet tall and provides a lot of shade. Silver maples do well in poor soil, partial to full sun and needs to stay moist or wet. It has very brittle wood, which can result in breakage during a wind or ice storm. The trees should not be planted near sidewalks or sewers, because the roots will lift sidewalks and clog sewers.

Red Maple

• The red maple's summer foliage is green, gray underneath and turns from yellow to red in the fall. The red maple can grow to approximately 60 feet tall and needs partial shade to full sun. It's used for as a street tree and shade tree. Red maple is one of the first trees to change colors in the fall.

Norway Maple

• The Norway maple will grow approximately 50 feet tall. Summer foliage is a dark green, which turns to yellow in the fall. The tree needs partial shade to full sun and the soil should stay moist. Uses for include shade and street trees. The tree has a shallow root system and mulching around the base of is recommended.