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Acer rubrum
'Somerset' and
'Sun Valley'
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The U.S. National Arboretum presents
'Somerset' and
'Sun Valley' red
maples, two additional selections from the U.S. National Arboretum red
maple research evaluation program.
Showing excellent, long-lasting red fall color, tolerance to potato
leafhopper, and symmetrical form, these male selections will fill
important niches in the nursery industry and in the landscape.
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'Somerset'
'Sun Valley'
'Somerset'
and 'Sun Valley'
Red Maple
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| Botanical Name: |
Acer rubrum L. 'Somerset'
(NA 59905; PI 583791)
Acer rubrum L. 'Sun Valley'
(NA 59906; PI 583790) |
| Family: |
Aceraceae |
| Hardiness: |
U.S.D.A. Zones 4–7; 'Somerset' to Zone 8. |
| Development: |
'Somerset' and 'Sun Valley' resulted from
controlled crosses made in 1982 by
A.M. Townsend as part of a tree genetics research project examining the
inheritance of fall color and leafhopper resistance. 'Somerset' is a
cross of
Acer rubrum 'October Glory' and A. rubrum 'Autumn Flame'. 'Sun Valley'
is
a cross of A. rubrum 'Red Sunset' and A. rubrum 'Autumn Flame'. Released
December, 1994. |
| Significance: |
'Somerset' and 'Sun Valley' are red maple
cultivars with exceptional, longlasting red fall color and significant
levels of tolerance to potato leafhopper— better than or comparable to
many commercially available red maple cultivars in long-term tests in
Maryland and Ohio. 'Somerset' appears to color well as far south as
Georgia. |
| Description: |
Height and Width:
'Somerset': 23 feet tall, 11 foot crown spread at
12
years. 'Sun Valley': 21 feet tall, 10 feet wide at 10 years.
Habit:
Medium-sized deciduous trees. 'Somerset': moderately ovate crown.
'Sun Valley': symmetrical ovate crown.
Foliage:
Brilliant red, consistently good fall color in Oregon, Maryland, and
Ohio. In Maryland, fall color lasts approximately 2 weeks and peaks in
the
3rd to 4th week of October, about 1 week before 'October Glory'. Medium
green leaves in summer. 'Somerset': 3.7 inches long, 4.3 inches wide.
'Sun
Valley': 3.8 inches long and wide.
Bark: Light
grey and smooth when young; turning dark grey with age.
Flowers: Male,
early spring.
Fruit: No
fruit produced. |
| Culture: |
Adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions.
Prefer slightly acid, moist soils.
Performed well in diverse locations from Alabama and Georgia to Michigan
and Oregon. |
| Propagation: |
Root easily from softwood cuttings under mist,
1000–3000 ppm IBA, in 4
weeks. Both have been propagated successfully in tissue culture. |
| Landscape Use: |
Excellent for lawn, street, highway, or park
plantings and as shade trees for
residential sites. |
| Distribution: |
Distributed to wholesale commercial
propagation nurseries beginning in
1995. Availability expected after 2002. |
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U.S. National Arboretum Plant Introduction
Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit
U.S. National Arboretum, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 3501 New York Ave., N.E.,
Washington, DC 20002 |
To visit the
U.S. National Arboretum website please follow this link.
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