Acer rubrum ‘Brandywine’ – Brandywine Maple

Botanical Name: Acer rubrum ‘Brandywine’

Alternate Name: Brandywine Red Maple

Brandywine Maple (Acer rubrum ‘Brandywine’) is a beautiful, seedless, medium-sized deciduous tree which grows in a graceful, upright habit. Its upright habit makes it a very useful tree to use in landscapes. The Brandywine Maple grows to 40 feet in height and 25 feet in width, in an attractive, rounded-oval shape. It is a cross between Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ Maple and Acer rubrum ‘Autumn Flame’ Maple.

All new growth on the tree emerges tinged with red. The Brandywine Maple develops small, pretty, red flowers in early spring, before the leaves. The blooms are followed by red two-winged samaras. The leaves follow the flowers with an initial flush of red and mature to around 4.5 inches in size with 3-5 lobes. They are mid- to dark green in color, with a distinctive gray-green on the undersides.

The Brandywine Maple has a superior, brilliant, red fall color which will transform any landscape. It has a more reliable seasonal color than the species, Acer rubrum (Red Maple).

It is tolerant of many different soil types and prefers wet to dry soils if they are well-drained. It prefers acidic soil and neutral pH to alkaline soil. This tree is somewhat tolerant of pollution, thus it is a good choice for city gardens.

Brandywine Maple is a very cold hardy variety.