Crimson Sunset Maple

Photo courtesy J. Frank Schmidt & Son Nursery

Each spring Crimson Sunset Maples develop a beautiful canopy of colorful reddish purple leaves that continue to  add nice color to the landscaping throughout the whole growing season.  Purple leafed Norway Maple varieties such as crimson King Maple and Royal Red Maple have been enjoyed for many decades, and the relatively new Crimson Sunset Maple appears to be a good improvement.

I have observed that Crimson Sunset Maple holds its reddish purple color very well through the heat of summer, and displays some reddish  highlights during the fall leaf color change.  The leaves of Crimson Sunset also  have a very nice shape  with well defined edges, and a very slight cupping near their edges that makes for a handsome and healthy appearance.

Toughness also is an excellent characteristic of Crimson Sunset Maple, which is a hybrid of the older purple Norway Maples and a Shantung Maple from China.   The bark of Crimson Sunset Maple seems to resist cracking and sunscald, and we have seen good resistance to salty road spray being blown off the highways during our long Minnesota winters.  These attributes make Crimson Sunset Maple a real winner for people who love purple leafed trees!