• Photo of Acer x freemanii (Acer x freemaniis)

Plant Profile: Acer x freemanii

Taxonomy: Acer x freemanii

Names

Freeman maple

  • Photo of Acer x freemanii (Acer x freemaniis)

Phonetic Spelling:AY-ser free-MAN-ee-eye

Genus:Acer

Species:freemanii

Family:Sapindaceae

Freeman Maple is a hybrid that combines the finest traits of both red and silver maples, showcasing a robust structure and stunning autumn foliage. This tree thrives in well-drained, moist, and acidic soil, ideally situated in full sun to partial shade. It serves as an excellent choice for shade, lawns, or street plantings, demonstrating resilience in heavy clay and occasionally wet soils. Once established, these trees can withstand periods of drought.

Various cultivars of this tree are available.

In terms of pests and diseases, Freeman Maple generally faces no significant issues, although immature trees may be susceptible to leafhoppers, borers, and scale.

Acer x freemanii Feature Summary

Acer x freemanii Image Gallery

Tags

#fall color
#shade tree
#rain garden
#drought tolerant
#low maintenance
#park
#street tree
#lawn tree
#wet soils tolerant

Similar Plants

Acer x freemanii is often confused with:

Acer x freemanii Feature Summary

Attributes
Fruit
The 2-winged samaras are sparsely produced. Matures to yellow-brown.
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Flowers
Blooms in April but rarely flowers and blooms are not very noticeable. Blooms in dense red clusters at the ends of one year old branches.
Gold/Yellow
Red/Burgundy
Insignificant
< 1 inch
Leaves
Deeply cut five-lobed palmatifid leaves with the central lobe wider towards the tip than at its base, the sides often concave. The upper surface is dark green, smooth and glossy, paler and smooth underneath. They are 4-6 inches long and wide. Good fall color of orange-red.
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Palmatifid
3-6 inches
3-6 inches
Bark
The bark is fairly smooth and silver-gray, becoming fissured with age.
Light Gray
Stem
Branchlets are red to reddish-brown and smooth, older branches turn grayish like the trunk.
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
Gray/Silver
Smooth (glabrous)
Only 1 terminal bud, larger than side buds
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Wet
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Rain Garden
Cottage Garden
Asian Garden
Shade Tree
Street Tree

Acer x freemanii Attributes

Acer x freemanii: Country Or Region Of Origin

USA, Maine, Vermont

Acer x freemanii: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Acer x freemanii: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Acer x freemanii Fruit

Acer x freemanii: Fruit Description

The 2-winged samaras are sparsely produced. Matures to yellow-brown.

Acer x freemanii: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Acer x freemanii: Fruit Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Gold/Yellow

Acer x freemanii: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Acer x freemanii Flowers

Acer x freemanii: Flower Description

Blooms in April but rarely flowers and blooms are not very noticeable. Blooms in dense red clusters at the ends of one year old branches.

Acer x freemanii: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Insignificant
filter_vintage
Red/Burgundy

Acer x freemanii: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Acer x freemanii: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Acer x freemanii: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Acer x freemanii Leaves

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Description

Deeply cut five-lobed palmatifid leaves with the central lobe wider towards the tip than at its base, the sides often concave. The upper surface is dark green, smooth and glossy, paler and smooth underneath. They are 4-6 inches long and wide. Good fall color of orange-red.

Acer x freemanii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Acer x freemanii: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Orange
spa
Red/Burgundy

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Acer x freemanii: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy

Acer x freemanii: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Acer x freemanii Bark

Acer x freemanii: Bark Description

The bark is fairly smooth and silver-gray, becoming fissured with age.

Acer x freemanii: Bark Color

grass
Light Gray

Acer x freemanii: Surface/Attachment

Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy

Acer x freemanii Stem

Acer x freemanii: Stem Description

Branchlets are red to reddish-brown and smooth, older branches turn grayish like the trunk.

Acer x freemanii: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Gray/Silver
grass
Red/Burgundy

Acer x freemanii: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Acer x freemanii: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Acer x freemanii: Stem Bud Terminal

Cluster of terminal buds
Only 1 terminal bud, larger than side buds
Only 1 terminal bud, smaller than side buds

Acer x freemanii Whole Plant Traits

Acer x freemanii: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Acer x freemanii: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Acer x freemanii: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Acer x freemanii: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Acer x freemanii: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Acer x freemanii: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Acer x freemanii Cultural Conditions

Acer x freemanii: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Acer x freemanii: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Acer x freemanii: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Acer x freemanii: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Acer x freemanii: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Acer x freemanii: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
3a
thermostat
3b
thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Acer x freemanii: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Acer x freemanii Landscape

Acer x freemanii: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Acer x freemanii: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Acer x freemanii: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Acer x freemanii: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland