Crimson King Maple Tree Pros & Cons, Growth rate, Problems

The crimson king maple tree is a wonderful choice if you want to add an extra layer of color to your summer foliage. The crimson king is a big, dense shade tree with rich burgundy leaves in the summer that changes to bright gold in the autumn. While the crimson king is not ideal for every situation, it provides flair to most settings and is a beautiful addition to a park or garden.

The crimson king, scientifically classified as Acer platanoides, is a gorgeous, showy plant that can tolerate a wide range of soil and weather conditions. As a result, the crimson king is popular among urban landscapers as a residential street tree. However, this burgundy beauty can be overdone. When there are too many of these dark-leaved plants in a row along a roadway or walkway, it can be irritating and exhausting to the eye, creating an almost gloomy visual impact. Instead, use this tree as a stand-alone specimen tree or as a solitary individual among a group of more traditionally colored species to show off its full potential.

When looking for the perfect spot for a crimson king, keep in mind the species' extremely shallow root system. The main roots are found just beneath the surface of the earth, occasionally sprouting like sea serpents across your lawn. This complicates mowing, as the mower blades may cause harm to the roots or vice versa. These structures can also cause an issue if the tree is grown too close to a roadway or sidewalk, actually overcoming the cement or asphalt and causing fractures and upswellings along the surface.

The crimson king is a good shade tree, typically growing to a height of 35 to 45 feet and a width of 25 to 30 feet, with a thick, uniform oval-shaped canopy that adequately blocks out sunlight. Branches grow largely upright, making them quite resistant to ice and snow damage.

Crimson King Maple Tree Pros

Spectacular foliage: It shows the stunning color of rich burgundy leaves in the summer that changes to bright gold in the autumn. 

Canopy for shade: Its canopy is dense, uniform, and oval-shaped which adequately blocks out sunlight.

Good tolerance: Crimson King Maple Tree shows can tolerate different soil conditions and thrives well.

Sun tolerance: Crimson King Maple Tree has good tolerance for direct sunlight.

Good pest resistance: It has good tolerance against common pest diseases.

Crimson King Maple Tree Cons

Messy: It is a messy tree variety that requires regular upkeep to maintain its proper structure.

Aggressive roots: The main roots are found close beneath the earth's surface, erupting like sea serpents across your lawn on occasion. This makes mowing more difficult because the mower blades may damage the roots or vice versa. These structures can also be problematic if the tree is planted too close to a street or sidewalk, effectively overcoming the cement or asphalt and producing fractures and up swellings along the surface.

Low drought tolerance: This tree does not perform well in drought and requires adequate moisture to thrive well.

Crimson King Maple Tree Growth Rate

The Crimson King maple has a moderate or medium growth rate, which means it grows between 1 to 2 feet each year.  It can live up to 100 years or more in optimal conditions; consider it a legacy tree for future generations. Only full sunshine should be used to grow this tree. It enjoys average to wet growing conditions and should not be allowed to dry out. 

Crimson King Maple Tree Problems

Knowing the signs and symptoms of Crimson King maple tree diseases is the best approach to keep your maple healthy and happy for years to come.

If you reside in a region with strong winds, keep an eye out for symptoms of leaf scorch on your Crimson King maple tree. Leaf scorch is seen on maple leaves as tan and brown spots between the veins. This could potentially be a sign of an infected root system.

Verticillium wilt causes wilted, discolored leaves on maple trees. If left unchecked, this fungal infection will ruin your tree's branches and finally kill it. Peel a branch to expose the sapwood beneath to detect this infection.

Cottony maple scale is caused by scale insects that form cottony, white masses on the undersides of maple branches. This is not only unattractive, but it can also weaken the tree, discolor the leaves, and expose it to additional infections, molds, and mildews.