Bigtooth Maple
Bigtooth Maple
–
Acer grandidentatum
Lost Maple, Limerock Maple, Sabinal Maple, Uvalde Bigtooth Maple
20
–
45 feet
20
–
30 feet
Southwestern U.S., including the Edwards Plateau in Texas
Central Texas
Texas
Full Sun
Part Sun/Shade
Medium
Birds
Previous
Next
About This Plant
Sun/part shade; deciduous. Outstanding fall color. Bigtooth maple is fairly drought-tolerant and can grow up to 40 feet in the right setting; however, in the Edwards Plateau, it’s mostly a resident of sheltered canyons. Uvalde Bigtooth Maple is a 3-lobed variety of the species.
This is the species many tourists travel to see at Lost Maples State Park and west Texas in autumn. In recent years, it has become much more widely available in the nursery trade. Although it prefers limestone soil, with proper care it can adapt to clay, sand and rock. It grows slowly as a young plant, and foliage may burn a bit in extreme summer heat.
Seeds are a good food source for wildlife.
Maintenance
Young trees require some soil moisture; after two years they should be able to survive on their own.
Bigtooth maples need their leaves to feed their roots; prune as little as possible. Pruning cuts should only be made at a bud or branch; in general, focus on minimizing the number of dead, damaged, or rubbing branches. As with any tree, remove no more than 25% of the canopy during any five-year cycle. Leave the upper 2/3 of the crown uncut to maintain a healthy specimen, never removing more than the lowest third of the tree in a single pruning period.
Mulch with about 2” of woodchips or pine bark wherever possible. (In general, a tree’s mulched area should be six feet at minimum.)
Features
Plant Type:
Large Tree
Size:
20-45' H, 20-30' W
Sunlight Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade
Soil Types:
Clay, Sandy, Thin
Wildlife:
Birds
Flower Color:
Yellow
Bloom Time:
October, November
Freeze Hardy:
Yes
Invasive:
No
Caution:
None
Coupon Eligible:
No
This plant goes well with
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