Monday, October 13, 2014

Acer x freemanii 'Armstrong' - Armstrong Maple

The best and worst examples of this tree are in Scotts Valley, where they were planted to create a nice vertical accent to the entrances of the shopping center, then had the tops cut out of them. Anyway, a nice hybrid red/silver maple with a tall narrow habit, 40+ feet tall and 15' wide. Potentially fair fall color.





Leaves are opposite, simple, palmately lobed, 5-6" long and deeply lobed margins much more silver maple like that red. Very long red tinged petioles.




Fruit is a samara, red wings turning brown. Wings are almost parallel.



Considered to have good, but not great fall color. I suspect it has too much of the silver maple fall color gene (to go along with the leaf shape).



Misidentification:
Other A. x Freemanii hybrids, but this one is very narrow. There are other similar columnar hybrid or red maples but they have leaves more like a red maple. 'Bowhall' and 'Columnare'.

Location:
Scotts Valley
Mt Herman Dr at most entrances to the shopping center.

Watsonville
Library at Freedom Blvd and Airport intersection.