Acer Freemanii or Freeman Maple ( colour)

General Gardening
#1

I am hoping someone can answer this question. I am familiar with, and I have some cultivars of this variety…such as “Autumn Blaze”…which are chosen for very bright fall colour. I just bough 5 Acer Freemanii trees but they have no leaves to tell what colour they turn, and they are NOT cultivars , just standard crosses of Acer Rubrum (Red Maple) and Acer Saccharinum. What are the chances they will have good fall colour ???..I am wondering since they are not select specimens…they are not clones, just ordinary crosses, which can happen both naturally and intentionally.

#2

Lots of variation to be expected. (But they aren’t Mr. Freemn’s if somebody else did the hybridizing, or if it just happened in nature.) Most crosses should have some identifiable traits of both parents.
Most are red for sure. But, most seedlings may likely be inferior to Autumn Blaze, Brandywine, etc.

#3

I don’t know , I believe Acer Freemanii is the name given to a cross between a Red and a Silver Maple…maybe that’s why I can’t find info on the non-cultivars
?..are you saying only cultivars are Freemanii ?..otherwise they are just called a Red/silver hybrid?. I’m not sure what you are saying since they do cross naturally…

#4

I think I may have answered my own question…I suppose Freeman would have selected the Reds and the Silvers he/she was to cross … I was thinking only about selecting from the crosses that were already made…

#5

I suppose if the colour is disappointing
I can graft some branches from my Autumn Blaze on there…at least the rootstock plant will be also a hybrid rather than one or the other …or another maple altogether…

#6

There’s a lot of good maples in a breeding program that are never propagated and sold to the public.

Just as there are thousands of acceptable apples that are never released by breeding programs … for varying reasons.

So, just as a red maple tree from a seedling may turn out great, so a seedling of acer rubrum x acer saccarinum may turn out great.

#7

Just a side note by i’;m seeing some amazing colors this fall on maples. Really good year for them. Also a great time to get sugar maple seed.

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#8

Only the red maples and the crosses (Freemanii if you prefer) are pretty here…sugars not there yet, nor are Japanese.

Many things have not ‘peaked’…but if sleet or flurries happen 3 or 4 nights from the present…fall color may end abruptly, not sure.