Maple trees are some of the most beloved trees in the United States. Here in Michigan, we are blessed with a wide variety of the gorgeous trees that are responsible for the magnificent display of fall colors that people travel from out of state to witness. Maples have large, wide leaves that make them the perfect shade trees for your yard and also maintain excellent shapes throughout their life. You can’t go wrong when choosing a maple. Try planting a variety of them and watch your yard explode with color in the fall.

Sugar Maple

Sugar maples are wildly popular for their standout colors and especially for their maple syrup. In the summer their thick foliage provides great shade for outdoor activities and keeping the temperature in your home down. In the spring, they flower from April to May and produce winged helicopter seeds that can sprout up in yards, flower beds, or gardens, making them easy to transplant. 

When fall rolls around, the sugar maple puts on a spectacular display of yellow to burnt orange to red. It tolerates shade, prefers well-drained, moderately moist soil. If you are planting from saplings be sure to protect them; The tender leaves of young sugar maples are a favorite for deer.

Silver Maple

Of all the maple trees in Michigan, the silver maple tree is by far the fastest-growing, making it the tree of choice for many homeowners. Its dense foliage provides ample shade in the hot summers, but it does require a lot of sunlight so plant it in an open area. Be careful when planting it near other young trees as the silver maple will grow faster and deprive the other trees of sunlight. 

Silver maple leaves are green on top and silvery-white underneath. On windy days you can really see where they get their name. In the fall, it’s leaves turn a golden yellow color, adding a different shade to your landscape.

Because of their fast growth, refrain from planting them near structures and sidewalks as their roots can cause a lot of damage.

Crimson King Maple

Looking for a tree to add some color and interest during the summer months? The crimson king is a stand-out maple that has breathtaking deep red foliage all year round. This tree is more contained than other maples, reaching heights of 35-45 feet and 25-30 feet wide. It may not be a wide-covering shade tree like the silver and sugar maples, but it does add variety to an otherwise green landscape.

Red Maple

Not to be confused with the crimson king, red maple trees actually have green foliage in the summer. It gets its name from the stunning bright red leaves that appear in the fall. They can grow 40-70 feet tall and, with a spread up to 50 feet, it makes an excellent shade tree for the backyard or patio.

At PPM Tree Care, we provide tree trimming, pruning, and tree cabling to help your trees grow up to be the best they can be. 

You can ask about our wide range of services here or call us at (877) 454-8733.