Many maples are cold hardy and this is one of the reasons they are a desireable ornamental in the landscape. Literature abounds with claims of maples doing fine in extreme cold weather but some are omitted that also do fine. I am wondering what experiences people have had with maples in extremely cold weather (below 20° F).
20°F is about -6° C. According to Vertrees, this cv are one of the hardier : Attraction (aka superbum) Musashino or Nomura Oshu Beni Samidare
Thanks Andre. I am most interested in what maples people have that have survived extreme conditions. (books can be downright deceiving). Scott in Gillette Wyoming has pseudoseboldianum and truncatum that has been in -20° and survived! But even more extreme, when he lived in Montana he had a Ginalla and a Negundo Flamigo that leafed out after a winter that hit -40°. !!! robert
If you consider all the maple species (not only the japanese), all the canadian maples (saccharum, saccharinum, negundo, rubrum) can stand - 40°C without problem.
Acer saccharum can withstand -40, but suffers above-ground dieback. My father tries to grow it in a protected spot, but it still is hit hard during severe winters. I've my doubts that Acer macrophyllum, Acer circinatum and Acer glabrum var. douglasii can withstand such extremes, as well (all Canadian maples, too!) - you must be thinking of the parts of Canada that have such weather...
In 1994, I saw a mature A. saccharum in Edmonton. Its growth was vigorous, with dieback limited to the top fifth of the crown. Two recently-bred cultivars -- 'Northern Select' (aka 'Norselect') and 'Unity' -- are said to be hardy in the Prairie Provinces, at least through Zone 3. -Tony
Tony - thanks for the info. My father isn't growing a particularly hardy genotype. It seemed like a matter of time before hardy selections emerged for Zone 3 commercially. I'll have to consider getting him one!
