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Are Red sunset maple tree... #737039

Asked January 20, 2021, 11:16 AM EST

Are Red sunset maple trees seedless

County Iowa

Expert Response

Thank you for your question about Red Sunset Maple trees. No, they are not seedless unless they are male. It appears that their seeds are not a huge drop issue because squirrels and birds are attracted to their seeds, and typically harvest any that fall from females.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/st047  This Florida Extension bulletin describes the fruit (seed) as:
        Fruit shape: elongated
Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches
Fruit covering: dry or hard
Fruit color: red
Fruit characteristics: attracts squirrels/mammals; showy; fruit/leaves not a litter problem
An Illinois Extension Forestry Specialist answered the question about seeds here:  https://web.extension.illinois.edu/askextension/thisQuestion.cfm?ThreadID=15435&catID=192&AskSiteID=87
Are sunset maples supposed to produce those helicopter-like seeds? I bought a young one 3-4 years ago and it is growing nicely, but the leaves are always green and now I have those helicopter that I adamantly didn't want when I bought it. I think they gave me the wrong maple. Thanks for your help.
 
Extension Message From: Jay Hayek
Extension Specialist, Forestry
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
<personal data hidden>
Greetings Paul:

Red maple (Acer rubrum) "flowers are structurally perfect. The species is polygamo-dioecious. Thus, some trees are entirely male, producing no seeds; some are entirely female; and some are monoecious, bearing both male and female flowers" (1).

From your question, it is obvious that you either received a female tree or a monecious tree because your tree is producing samaras.

Source: (1) http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/acer/rubrum.htm


Here are some photos of the flowers and fruit, if you you get a female or monoecious: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/baker/docs/pdf/horticulture/demonstration-gardens/Red-Maple-'Red-Sunset'.pdf 


Some planting advice for this tree is here: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/space-requirements-sunset-maple-tree-its-roots-52500.html


I hope these articles will help you answer your questions. Thanks, Carol


Carol Van Waardhuizen | Human Sciences Replied January 20, 2021, 12:03 PM EST

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