Maple Trees (autumn blaze, pacific sunset, Norwegian maple, urban sunset)
Rating: 5
Size: (autumn blaze 40-50 ft, pacific sunset 30 ft, Norwegian maple 40-60 ft, urban sunset 35 ft)
Lifespan: 130-300 years
Shade: Medium to dense shade
Type: hardwood fast growing
The maple tree is the classic tree you see in landscaping. It is kind of the benchmark by which other trees are measured. Maples are hardwoods with big leaves helicopter seeds, and beautiful yellow to red colors in the fall. Look for them at city parks and park strips.
Red maple tree varieties such as the autumn blaze do not tolerate Utah’s alkaline soil very well so amending the soil treatments including sulfur is necessary for these trees to thrive. Pacific Sunset, Norwegian and Urban Sunset trees seem to tolerate Utah soil conditions better and are easier to grow. No soil treatment is needed for these hardier tree varieties.
One word of caution, avoid the silver maple. While this is a faster growing maple than most, its roots usually come above ground and ruin the lawn and landscaping.