This striking maroon-leafed tree is the Crimson King maple, Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King.’ Often mistakenly called a “red maple,” this tree is in fact a cultivar of the Norway maple. This cultivar was introduced into the nursery trade in the late 1940s in France. This European native is commonly planted in Europe and North America for its persistent maroon leaves throughout the summer. It has a medium rate of growth and will reach 50 feet tall by 40 feet wide in 50 years. Like all Norway maples, Crimson King maples are frequently planted as street trees and on parking lot islands, commercial properties, and residential lawns. They tolerate difficult soil conditions such as compaction, drought, and road salt but not soggy soils. They are desired by many because they are heat resistant and have few insect or disease problems.
Many landscapers and horticulturalists believe this tree is over-planted, and it has been deemed a restricted invasive plant species in New York State. If its seedlings are allowed to grow and reproduce into a naturalized area, their dense canopy and shallow root system will out-compete native understory plants, disrupting the local ecosystem.
Love ’em or hate ’em, these trees can be found throughout Buffalo State University’s Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum. This specimen, a tribute tree to former Buffalo State President Muriel A. Howard (formerly Muriel A. Moore), is on the east side of Bishop Hall, near Cleveland Circle.
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Photo and information courtesy of Steven Sypniewski, assistant campus planner and manager of the Buffalo State Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum.