Flame Amur Maple Tree Seeds | (Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala ‘Flame’)

The most cold-hardy ornamental maple. Brilliant red in fall. Compact enough for any garden.

Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala 'Flame', the Flame Amur Maple, is the most cold-hardy ornamental maple available in temperate horticulture, thriving in zone 2 conditions where most other maples cannot survive, producing reliable brilliant scarlet-red fall color that is brighter and more consistent than many Japanese Maple cultivars, and doing so in a compact, multi-stemmed form that fits gardens where larger maples are impractical. Native to northeastern China, Korea, Japan, and southeastern Russia, it evolved for conditions of severe cold, summer heat, and drought that prepare it for a wide range of challenging climates across North America. The Flame selection was specifically chosen for the most intense and reliable fall color expression of the species, producing deeper, more consistent red than the standard species in comparable conditions. If you are looking to buy Flame Amur Maple seeds or grow this cold-hardy ornamental from seed, this is the maple for climates where most ornamental maples simply do not perform.

• The most cold-hardy ornamental maple available, thriving to zone 2 where Japanese and other ornamental maples fail
• Brilliant scarlet-red fall color selected specifically for intensity and consistency
• Compact multi-stemmed form reaching 15 to 20 feet, suitable for small gardens where larger maples are impractical
• Fragrant small white flowers in spring attractive to bees, an underappreciated ornamental quality
• Drought-tolerant once established, performing in conditions that stress most ornamental maples

Things you probably did not know about the Flame Amur Maple

It is one of the most widely used landscape maples in Canada and the northern Great Plains. In the climate zones of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Minnesota, and North Dakota where ornamental tree choices are severely restricted by extreme winter cold, Amur Maple is one of the few reliable ornamental maples and is widely used in public and private landscapes specifically for its combination of cold hardiness and fall color. In climates where Sugar Maple and Japanese Maple fail, Amur Maple fills the role of the ornamental fall color maple that most temperate gardens take for granted.

The small white flowers have a fragrance that carries considerable distance. Amur Maple flowers are small but intensely fragrant in a clean, sweet way that is unexpected from a maple. The flowers appear in late spring after the leaves emerge and the fragrance carries on warm, still mornings for a surprising distance. Few people are aware that any maple has a noteworthy fragrance, and the Amur Maple's flower scent consistently surprises those who discover it for the first time.

It was historically used as a hedge plant in Korea and northeastern China. The dense, multi-stemmed growth habit of Amur Maple and its tolerance for pruning made it a traditional hedge and windbreak plant in agricultural communities of Korea and northeastern China. Cut repeatedly, it produces vigorous regrowth and maintains a compact, bushy form that provides effective screening and windbreak function in cold climates where the narrow range of cold-hardy hedge plants made Amur Maple a practical and widely used choice.

Fall color timing varies between individual seed-grown plants. The Flame selection produces the most consistently red fall color of any Amur Maple selection, but seed-grown plants from Flame parent material produce natural variation in color timing and intensity. Some seedlings will color early in September while others hold green into October. The range of color expressions from a batch of seed-grown Flame Amur Maples provides a natural progression of fall color across several weeks.

Growing Details

• Botanical Name: Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala 'Flame'
• Stratification: Required, 90 days cold moist stratification
• USDA Zones: 2 to 8
• Soil: Adaptable, tolerates poor, dry, alkaline, or clay soils
• Light: Full sun to partial shade, best fall color in full sun
• Height: 15 to 20 feet
• Spread: 15 to 20 feet
• Growth Rate: Moderate to fast, 1 to 2 feet per year

Plant it in full sun in zone 2 through 8 where a reliable, cold-hardy ornamental maple is needed. In October when the leaves go scarlet you will understand why it is the standard fall color maple of the northern plains.