Amur Maple Flame Tree Caring and Growing Instructions

The Amur maple flame tree lives up to its reputation as one of the most colorful maple trees in the autumn. Flame and Embers are two common names for this little tree (or big shrub) that can light up your yard in the fall with fiery red and orange foliage.

Red samaras, commonly known as wingnuts or whirlybirds, may be seen on these two types, as well as on ‘Red Wing.’ The 1-1/2-to 4-inch-long green leaves are bright green in color. In this case, the side lobes are shorter than the center lobe, giving them their three-lobed appearance. Depending on the kind, leaves in the fall will be green, red, or orange. Panicle-like clusters of fragrant white blooms appear in April and May.

For a flash of color, plant them in the spring or autumn. These plants are also good at preventing soil erosion and acting as windbreaks. When it’s cold outside, windbreaks may save you money on your heating bill by absorbing part of the effect of winter storms. Until they reach their full size, the trees typically grow between 12 and 24 inches each year.

Growing Amur Maple Flame Tree: A Beginner’s Guide

Urban gardens benefit from the hardiness of the Amur maple flame tree. A smaller version of this may be used in most suburban settings. Withstanding shade, salt, and dryness, this tree is a hardy survivor in the desert.

Sunlight

Full sun or moderate shade is ideal for your new tree, but full sun will bring out the most in its autumn hues.

Soil

It can grow in a broad range of soil types, even in areas with low fertility and a wide range of pH values. When looking for a location, look for one with a pH between acidic and neutral. Iron chlorosis may occur in trees if the soil is excessively alkaline. If necessary, add acid to the soil. Amur maple trees require wet, well-draining soil. It can tolerate some drought.

Temperature and humidity

The Amur maple thrives in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, where it can withstand freezing weather, sleet, and snowfall. It prefers the cold to the heat and thrives in climates with mild summers and little humidity.

Water & Fertilizer

Fertilizer isn’t required for Amur maple trees in lawns and gardens, especially if such areas are regularly fed. A freshly planted Amur maple, on the other hand, may benefit from fertilizer. Early spring following autumn planting or six to eight weeks after spring planting, use one cup of an evenly-balanced 10-10-10 granular fertilizer around the freshly planted Amur maple’s base to promote fast development. When planting a tree, use the same quantity of fertilizer twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn. Make sure to thoroughly wash your hands in between applications.

Propagating Amur Maples

After soaking in water for a day and stratifying for a few months, seeds may be used to grow new trees. To keep the unique features of a variety from fading away due to hybridization, cuttings must be used.

In June or July, new shoots’ stems should be removed. There should be a minimum of two leaves and one bud on the cuttings. Removing the lower leaves by trimming below the lowest node will leave three or four at the tip of the cuts. Before planting, you may use a rooting hormone to help the seeds take root better. Cut the cuttings in half and place them in the rooting media, making sure that the leaves do not come in contact with one another. After rooting for two to three weeks, the cuttings are ready to be potted.

Pruning

A central leader may be used to prune and train the tree in winter so that it has a single trunk. It may be taught to form a hedge if left as a multi-trunked shrub. Depending on where it grows, the Amur maple tree has the potential to be invasive.

Typical Pests and Disease

There are a few pests and illnesses that may attack this maple species at times. A yellow-bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) may be in your area if you see a line of holes in your trunk. Experiment using deterrent techniques. Other pests to watch out for are: Aphids, Borers, and Scales

Giant tar spot, leaf spots, and other diseases may affect the Amur maple, although they aren’t life-threatening. The following are examples of more severe illnesses that may be contracted:

• Anthracnose: Severe cases of this fungus defoliate plants. Insects that transmit the fungus to other plants or other sections of the same plant may be controlled by using fungicides or by removing sick areas of the plant early.
• A bacterial disease known as crown gall (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) causes spherical, wart-like growths up to two inches in diameter to develop at or just above the soil level, or on lower branches and stems. Multiple galls may weaken, stunt, and deprive plants of their ability to produce. The development of gall tissue in young plants may be lethal. It’s possible to remove existing galls using a sharp pruning knife, but the bacterium may spread to other plants if it’s not eradicated from the soil first. As a result, removing and destroying the sick plant may be the best option.

• Infections are caused by the soil-dwelling fungus Phytophthora (Phytophthora species). This disease manifests as light green or early autumn foliage, shrinking leaves and stems, and bleeding of a reddish brown substance. To prevent the infection from spreading, cut off the diseased branches as soon as feasible.
• It causes the tree’s branches to wilt or die due to a disease known as Verticillium wilt (Verticillium species). Sapwood infected with the fungus is rarely discolored a deep brown or turned an olive green color.An infected tree cannot be salvaged if it has already spread far and wide. However, if the illness has only just begun, trimming and fertilization may be able to preserve it.
• An iron shortage may manifest as iron chlorosis in plants cultivated in alkaline or poorly draining soils. Treatment is difficult and costly, although it is feasible to replenish lost iron via soil treatments, foliar spraying, and trunk injections. There is no cure for this disease yet.