Fall Fiesta® Sugar Maple

Botanical Name: Acer saccharum ‘Bailsta’

The Fall Fiesta® Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum ‘Bailsta’) is a deciduous sugar maple tree. It grows to a height of 40-50 feet with a 40 feet spread. It is a handsome tree that is prized for its spectacular fall display. Fall Fiesta® has an upright growth habit and a symmetrically rounded crown. This makes it perfect for planting as a shade tree in a park or a large residential landscape. It has a high crown clearance and should not be planted under power lines.

This maple develops small, insignificant yellow-green flowers in April. These are followed by two-winged samaras. The leathery, dark green, glossy leaves create an attractive canopy in the spring and summer. This cultivar is resistant to leaf tatter and leafhopper damage due to their density. This maple’s name, Fall Fiesta®, refers to the multiple fall colors displayed – vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds.

Fall Fiesta® Sugar Maple is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution and will make a good street tree if the roads are not salted in winter. Planting in compacted soil should be avoided, as this could encourage verticillium wilt to develop.

This tree attracts wildlife. Birds will eat insects they find living in the tree and will also feed on the samaras in winter.