Woody > Acer > Acer x freemanii > Acer x freemanii 'Morgan '
Acer x freemanii
'Morgan '
Morgan Maple
Origin: A hybrid cross of A. saccharinum and A. rubrum from the Morgan Arboreteum, MacDonald College, Quebec, Canada.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Acer x freemanii ‘Morgan’ also known as Indian Summer is a hybrid cross between two native North American trees; Acer saccharinum and Acer rubrum. Acer saccharinum gives 'Morgan' the ability to grow fast and adapt to different climate and soil conditions. The Acer rubrum parentage allows it to grow in dry to wet areas and tolerate some standing water, this parentage also provides the intense autumnal foliage that it is well known for. Its upright oval shape and height makes this the perfect shade tree.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Sapindaceae (Aceraceae) |
| Genus |
| Acer |
| Species |
| x freemanii |
| Cultivar |
| 'Morgan ' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| Synonyms |
| Acer x freemanii 'Indian Summer' |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4a - 8a |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 4 - 8 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -34 - (-12) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -20 - 20 |
| Height |
| 18 - 24 m |
| Spread |
| 10 - 15 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| An extremely dynamic cultivar that is fast growing, adaptable and with very bright, intense red autumn colour. |
| Landscape |
| It may be used as a shade tree either singularly or in groups but must be given room to grow since it is a large specimen. Since it is quite adaptable it will find use in urban situations such as shopping malls and parking lots. Brilliant autumn colour can be realized to full affect if planted in loosely spaced avenues or rows. |
| Cultivation |
| Plant in full sun to most soil types, it is tolerant to urban pollution but is intolerant to high pH. Graft incompatibility may occur where it is not grown on its own roots (softwood cuttings). It has a shallow root system and thus many surface roots lead to some instability in drought and possible understory cultivation issues. |
| Shape |
| Pyramidal when young to upright-oval when mature. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| Pests |
| Leaf hoppers can become an issue. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Wrinkly grey bark with brick red colour young branchlets. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Small rounded buds, 3 mm - 1 cm in size. |
| Leaf Description |
| 3 - 5 lobed leaf blades, 10 cm across, green abaxil and grey adaxil during the summer. Orange-red to red during autumn. |
| Flower Description |
| Pistillate, red flowers bloom before the leaves develop in early spring. |
| Fruit Description |
| The fruit is a samara, 2-5 cm, red, not ornamentally significant, maturing from May to June. |
| Colour Description |
| Green foliage during the summer which will later become intense, uniform red in the autumn creating a spectacular show. The grey bark becomes slightly wrinkled with age while the branchlets are a brick red colour. |
| Texture Description |
| A medium textured plant in all seasons. |
| Notable Specimens |
| The Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, Ontario, Canada. |
| Propagation |
| Softwood cuttings under mist root well and avoid the potential incompatibility issues with grafting. |
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