October Glory Maple

A beautiful shade tree is almost a necessity in a completed garden. It will shade your front or back yard and your home, making cool shade for play, parties or barbeques. The best choice is usually a native tree, which is well adapted to the climate and suffers from few diseases. October Glory Maple is an improved form of the native Red Maple, so it is hardy and more tolerant of urban conditions than, for example, the Sugar Maple.

Growing October Glory Maple Trees

October Glory Maples will thrive in almost all kinds of soil; from rich, damp soils, to thin, dry soils. With its spectacular brilliant red leaves in fall it is a tree that everyone can be proud to grow. Although usually grown as a shade tree, October Glory Maple is also a great choice for a windbreak or deciduous screen, or even as a special choice for an interesting and beautiful hedge.

Growth Rate and Appearance

When young, your October Glory Maple will grow rapidly, three feet a year or even more, so it will quickly make a 20 foot specimen in your garden. October Glory Maple will grow into a mature tree at least 50 feet tall, and 20 to 30 feet across, with a trunk perhaps 2 feet across. The trunk has smooth grey bark when young and only in older trees does it become more cracked in appearance.

The leaves are typical lobed Maple-leaves but differ from other Maples in being much smoother in outline, with just three lobes at the end. In spring the tiny red flowers give a deep-red glow to the twigs and it is one of the first trees to flower, announcing the coming of spring. The most striking feature, and why this tree is such a good garden choice, is the flaming crimson-red foliage each fall, which lights up the garden as the cooler days arrive.

Hardiness

October Glory Maple is much hardier than other Maples and many other shade trees. It is hardy from zones 4 to 9, so it grows throughout America, except for the coldest parts of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the tip of Florida. This is a tree that everyone can grow and love. It will also grow in a wide range of soils, from near-swamp conditions to dry sites. So whatever your soil Red Maple will thrive.

Planting Location

Allow plenty of room for your specimen October Glory Maple. Plant your new tree 15 to 20 feet from your house and well away from driveways and roads. When planting as a screen or wind-break, allow 10 feet between the trees. A tree for life deserves a little care, so dig a wide, shallow hole about three times the diameter of the pot. Add some organic material like compost, manure or peat-moss and some bone-meal or superphosphate. Place the tree in the center of the hole, put back most of the soil and firm it down well. Add lots of water and when it has drained away finish with the rest of the soil. Water well every week for the first season and after that only when the soil is dry.

This tree can be planted in the shade of other trees but not too close to them. It will soon grow up and find the sunshine. It requires little pruning, just remove any weak branches and any that are growing too close together. Some water during drought periods and some tree fertilizer in spring in helpful for young trees but in a few years your tree will need nothing except admiration.

Pests and Diseases

It is resistant to insects and diseases, and the strong wood will not break in storms. It is only occasionally eaten in winter by deer, and once grown tall will be out of their reach. It should not be planted where there are horses, as the fallen leaves are poisonous to them.

History and Origins of the October Glory Maple

Common Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is one of the most widespread native trees in North America. It is found all the way from Quebec to Florida, throughout all the eastern states of America. It is one of the most beautiful trees of the forests, particularly for its brilliant red leaves in fall, which complement the gold of the Sugar Maples and purple of the Ash trees.

‘October Glory’ is a specially selected form grown by a nursery in New Jersey and introduced in 1961.  In that time it has proved its worth in three ways. It is more dependable for always having glorious crimson-red fall color, no matter what the weather has been. It retains its leave significantly longer into late fall than other Red Maples, so you can enjoy its beauty for a longer time. Lastly, and perhaps best of all, it grows faster, so it will become a beautiful, mature shade tree much sooner than other kinds of Red Maple will.

Buying October Glory Maple at The Tree Center

October Glory Maple is a specially selected form, so it is important to get the right tree. Our trees are grown the correct way, from grafts of specific, correctly identified trees. That way every tree is identical to the original and will have its best features. However these take longer to produce, so avoid cheaper, seedling trees that will only be a disappointment.

We sell only trees that are true to the original form and we have a wide range of sizes to give you the best plant for your purpose. However, we are constantly renewing our stock so our customers get fresh, healthy plants, so supplies of this tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order now.