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Marmo Freeman maple

Acer freemanii 'Marmo'

Common names:
Marmo Freeman's maple

Content Detail

This Chicagoland Grows® introduction has a beautiful mix of fall color, displaying a mottled blend of red and green to burgundy and yellow. This hybrid has the strong branch attachment of the red maple and fast growth rate of the silver maple. This plant is a cultivar of a hybrid of two trees that are native to the Chicago Region according to Swink and Wilhelm’s Plants of the Chicago Region, with updates made according to current research. Cultivars are plants produced in cultivation by selective breeding or via vegetative propagation from wild plants identified to have desirable traits.

  • Family (English) Soapberry (formerly Maple)
  • Family (botanic) Sapindaceae (formerly Aceraceae)
  • Planting site City parkway, Residential and parks, Wide median
  • Tree or plant type Tree
  • Foliage Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)
  • Native locale Chicago area, Illinois, North America
  • Size range Large tree (more than 40 feet)
  • Mature height 45-70 feet
  • Mature width 35-40 feet
  • Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily)
  • Hardiness zones Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7, Zone 8
  • Soil preference Acid soil, Moist, well-drained soil
  • Tolerances Alkaline soil, Dry sites, Wet sites
  • Season of interest early fall, mid fall
  • Flower color and fragrance Inconspicuous
  • Shape or form Oval, Upright
  • Growth rate Fast
  • Transplants well Yes
  • Planting considerations Commonly planted
  • Wildlife Insect pollinators
  • Has cultivars NA

Native geographic location and habitat:

This is of hybrid origin. It is a cross between two native trees, red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum).

Bark color and texture:

Bark is fairly smooth and silver-gray. It becomes fissured with age.

Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, and texture:

Simple leaves in pairs (opposite) grow 3 to 5 inches long. The five-lobed leaves are deeply lobed, with toothed sinuses that often resemble those of silver maple. They are medium green with a silvery underside. Fall color is an interesting mottled blend of red and green to burgundy and yellow.

Flower arrangement, shape, and size:

Flowers are inconspicuous. ‘Marmo’ has only male flowers.

Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions:

This tree produces no fruit.

Plant care:

Avoid pruning maples in spring as they are ‘bleeders’ and will lose large amounts of sap.

List of pests, diseases, and tolerances:

Verticillium wilt and maple bladder gall are potential problems for maples. It is less susceptible to chlorosis symptoms (yellowing leaves) than red or silver maples.

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