Hybrid sugar maple is a small, deciduous tree renowned for its smooth, chalky-white bark and elegant foliage. The leaves of hybrid sugar maple are palmate and finely toothed, turning vibrant shades of orange, red, or yellow in the fall. Thriving in well-drained soils, hybrid sugar maple is often found in woodland settings, where its understory position allows it to utilize dappled sunlight for growth.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Acer leucoderme (English: chalk maple; also white bark maple, pale-bark maple and sugar maple) is a deciduous tree native to the southeastern United States from North Carolina south to northwest Florida and west to eastern Texas. It lives in the understory in moist, rocky soils on river banks, ravines, woods, and cliffs. Although generally an uncommon tree, it is most often found in the inner coastal plain and Piedmont regions of Georgia.
Chalk maple is a small tree, reaching 8–9 m in height and develops a round form with slender branches, and often with multiple trunks. The name “chalk maple” (in addition to the Latin name, meaning “white skin”) comes from the attractive smooth and thin chalky white or light gray bark on mature trees. The bark becomes ridged and blackish at the base as it ages.
The leaves are opposite and simple, 5–9 cm long and broad, often drooping at the tip. They have 5 or 3 long-pointed lobes with wavy or coarsely toothed edges. They are dark green and hairless above, with a yellow-green and softly pubescent underside. In autumn, the leaves turn from a brilliant yellow to orange to deep red. The fruit is a paired brown samara, 2-2.5 cm long, maturing in autumn.
Acer leucoderme is often confused with Acer floridanum (Florida maple), but there are several differences. A. leucoderme is smaller in size but has larger leaves than Florida maple. The leaves of A. leucoderme are yellow-green underneath rather than the whitish underside of Florida maple. The lobes on the leaves of Florida maple are squarer and blunter than those of A. leucoderme.
Some botanists classify A. leucoderme as a subspecies of the sugar maple: A. saccharum subsp. leucoderme.
Acer leucoderme is well-suited for the warmer and drier climates of the upland regions of the southeastern United States. Because A. leucoderme does not require rich soil in which to grow, it can be a viable option for planting in urban environments. Acer leucoderme can be grown as a shade tree or reclamation plant up through USDA plant hardiness zone 5B, far north of its natural range. The tree is highly shade- and drought-tolerant. It is recommended that seeds be gathered while still on the tree, as they do not stay viable for very long and are susceptible to insect damage.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
The hybrid sugar maple has a certain requirement for sunlight and prefers a partially shaded area. In cases of exposure to direct sunlight in the summer, the leaves of most varieties will wither, so shading is required. As the plants get older and their root system grows, this condition will be less of a problem. A few varieties will tolerate exposure to direct sunlight, such as ‘Beni Maiko’ and ‘De Shojo’. Some weeping varieties can also tolerate exposure to direct sunlight, such as ‘Ao Shidare’.
Sunlight conditions will directly affect the ornamental appearance of hybrid sugar maple leaves. In the spring, sufficient sunlight will make the maple leaves more vivid, while in cases of insufficient sunlight or partial shading the leaf color may fade. During the fall, sunlight can also affect the leaf color. For potted plants, full exposure to sunlight is recommended during the spring and the fall, with partial shading in the summer.
Temperature
The hybrid sugar maple has good cold resistance and is able to tolerate low temperatures. The hybrid sugar maple is native to the margins of forests in China, Japan, and North Korea, so these trees generally prefer a humid environment. Most hybrid sugar maple plants have shallow root systems, so they should be watered frequently during the summer. For some varieties, a sprayed mist should be provided during the summer to increase the humidity of the air around them.
Watering
The hybrid sugar maple prefers the soil to be kept moist, especially during the summer, because dry weather can cause its leaves to scorch and even fall off in severe cases. During the summer, in addition to watering the roots, foliage can be sprayed during the evening to increase the humidity.
- In the summer, seedlings growing in pots may need watering twice a day, in the morning and the evening.
- In the spring and fall, watering should be carried out depending on the actual conditions. Watering can be reduced slightly as the temperature drops in the fall, which will help the leaves to change color.
- In the winter, it is only necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out.
Attention should be paid to the watering of seedlings grown in gardens during the early stages. At later stages, water should be supplied according to the weather, that is if there is no rain for more than two weeks in the summer.
Soil
The hybrid sugar maple does not have many specific requirements for soil. It is a forest native, so it prefers well-drained soil that is rich in humus and slightly acidic. Its main root will extend deep into the soil, but its tiny fibrous roots will be concentrated near the soil surface, so accumulated water in the soil tends to cause root rot.
Fertilizing
Potted seedlings should be given slow-release fertilizer only. For seedlings grown in gardens, fertilizer should be applied three times a year: once in the early spring, once in early summer for the growth period, and once in the fall.
Planting Instructions
The best time for planting or transplanting a hybrid sugar maple is following defoliation in the fall. At this time, the leaves will have fallen off so there is little transpiration and water loss can be avoided. In addition, the root system will still be growing at this time, preparing for regrowth the following spring. Transplanting should be avoided on the coldest days because cold wind can kill some of the shoots and branches. During the winter, in areas that cannot be sheltered from the wind, it is recommended to cover the branches.
Pruning
Pruning is mainly used to enhance internal ventilation, improve shoot formation, promote growth, and for shaping. The common approach to pruning is to remove any old or weak branches, remove any branches that disrupt the shape of the tree, and remove any branches that cross other branches. Pruning is used to control the plant according to the required height and shape. Generally, this follows the “Y-type” pruning method.
It is possible to prune a hybrid sugar maple throughout the year, but the coldest winter months should be avoided to prevent damage to the plant. Major pruning to shape a maple can be performed following defoliation in the fall, or prior to leaf growth in the spring. It is recommended to prune in the fall because withered and full buds can be easily distinguished.
According to the shaping plan, you can prune any withered buds and keep the full ones, thus making your tree healthier. For pruning in the summer, diseased, weak, or dead branches can be removed, mainly to enhance the tree’s ventilation.
If grown as a potted plant, the roots can easily occupy the entire flowerpot due to the limited space. This can make a hybrid sugar maple prone to aging if an old flowerpot is not changed. It is recommended that old roots are pruned during the dormancy period, that is, cut off any old, coarse, diseased, and weak roots.
Propagation
Common propagation methods include grafting, taking cuttings, and sowing seeds.
Grafting is the most common propagation method. Seedlings of Acer palmatum or Acer oliverianum are usually selected for the rootstock. Grafted seedlings have strong roots and grow rapidly, but poor affinity is occasionally present in some cases. Seedlings with Acer oliverianum as the rootstock are less hardy.
Cuttings take longer to grow and are mostly used in the production of bonsai.
Sowing seeds is a common way to cultivate new varieties. The hybrid offspring of two different maples are sown and valuable individuals are then selected from the seedlings. The traits of the parents may not be maintained in the selected offspring.
III. Uses and Benefits
Acer leucoderme is primarily used as an ornamental tree, though it has been used as a minor timber tree.
Find Where to Buy the Best Chalk Maple (Acer saccharum subsp. leucoderme)
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