Acer rubrum ‘Somerset’

RED SUNSET is one of the best red maple cultivars available in commerce, with outstanding orange to red fall color (quality more reliable than species). It typically grows 40-60? tall with a rounded to oval crown. It grows faster than Norway and sugar maples, but slower than silver maple. In northern states, red maple usually occurs in wet bottomland, river flood plains and wet woods. Emerging new growth leaves, leafstalks, twigs, flowers, fruit and fall color are red or tinged with red. Quality of red fall color on species plants is variable. Leaves (to 2-5″ long) have 3 principal triangular lobes (sometimes 5 lobes with the two lower lobes being largely suppressed). Lobes have toothed margins and pointed tips. Leaves are medium to dark green above and gray green below. Flowers on a given tree are primarily male or female or monoecious and appear in late winter to early spring (March-April) before the leaves. Fruit is a two-winged samara.  (Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder)