How much do maple trees grow each year?

We all wish to have those baby seedlings or young trees in our yard grow into tall, stern trees in no time. However, in reality, the wait might be a little longer than we prefer. Below we highlight the growth rate of some of the most popular maple trees.

Growth Rate of Maple Trees

In the case of Maple trees, the time it takes for a tree to mature would usually vary with the type of species. Red Maple, Japanese Maple, Sugar maple, and other popular specimens like the October Glory Maple have a different height potential and growth rates. In addition to these, the environmental factors a tree is exposed to are a key difference in its growth rate as well.

Sugar Maple

A Sugar maple tree (also known as Acer Saccharum) is a slow to medium paced tree in terms of growth. Slow growth denotes an annual growth of less than a foot, whereas medium growth denotes an annual growth between 13 to 24 inches. On the contrary, trees that have a fast-growing rate are expected to grow by more than 24 inches in height annually.

The Sugar Maple tree, being slow-paced, matures up to a height of 60 to 75 feet within 30 to 40 years.

Japanese Red Maple

A Japanese red maple tree (also known as Acer palmatum var. atropurpureum) is also a slow to medium paced tree with an average height of 15 to 25 feet. Given its height, a Japanese Maple tree takes up to 7 to 10 years before it reaches its average height. These trees are well known for their ornamental beauty and would require a partial shade. They grow best from Zones 5 to 8 and are tolerant of neither extreme hot nor extreme cold weather.

Red Maple

A Red maple tree (also known as Acer Rubrum) grows up to a height of 40 to 60 feet, and being a medium-paced tree, it would often require about 20 to 30 years before it matures. The native habitat of the Red Maple is as far North as Newfoundland and as far South as Florida. The best hardiness zones for this hardy tree ranges from 3 to 9. It prefers full sunshine, adapts to various soil types, and is less influenced by cold and hot weather.

October Glory

The October Glory Maple tree (also known as Acer Rubrum October Glory) is from the family of Red Maples. In contrast to other maple trees, this tree is fast-paced in terms of growth and will substantially attain a height of 50 feet within 20 to 25 years. It enjoys full sunshine and grows the best between hardiness zones 4 to 9.

Which Maple Tree is Right for Me?

There are a number of things to consider when choosing a maple tree. This includes growth rate (as touched on above), space required for growth (taking into account roots and its canopy), sunshine required, and suggested soil conditions. As maple trees are fairly hardy, you can’t go wrong planting one of these beautiful trees in your yard!