Acer rubrum 'Sun Valley' (Red Maple)

Acer rubrum 'Sun Valley' is a fast-growing maple cultivar with an upright ovular growth habit. Developed as a hybrid of two other showy red maple cultivars, 'Red Sunset' and 'Autumn Flame,' 'Sun Valley' is an especially showy specimen or shade tree, and especially in the fall. As a result of the selective breeding program, this cultivar's fall foliage is an absolutely stunning array of fiery reds. Rounded upright shape and tolerance of cold winters, wet roots, and a variety of soil conditions makes 'Sun Valley' a great, low-maintenance choice for a wide variety of landscapes.

While all red maples are fairly fast-growing, the 'Sun Valley' cultivar's compact mature size of only 25-35' tall and 15-25' wide at maturity means it will only take 15-20 years for this cultivar to reach full size. In spring, 'Sun Valley' produces small, nondescript flowers in shades of red and green which, due to its nature as a sterile hybrid, do not produce the winged samara seed pods that the tree is known for. While seed pods and flower buds are attractive to many species of song bird, and their loss can reduce ecological benefit, the lack of seeds only adds to the tree's low-maintenance nature, requiring less maintenance for a tidy appearance throughout the summer and fall. And while the birds might not flock to these maples to eat its seeds, you'll still draw in some flying friends with the Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) and Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia) caterpillars that host on these maples before maturing to their adult forms.