Edward F. Gilman, Dennis G. Watson, Ryan W. Klein, Andrew K. Koeser, Deborah R. Hilbert and Drew C. McLean
Introduction
Florida maple is native to Florida and naturally occurs primarily in the pandhandle, with small isolated populations in Central Florida. Some authorities treat Florida maple as a subspecies of sugar maple and call it Acer saccharum ssp. Floridanum, while other authorities use Acer barbatum or Acer barbatum ssp. Floridanum to refer to Florida maple. The deciduous Florida maple (Acer floridanum) reaches 50 to 60 feet in height but is most often seen at 20 to 30 feet. Displaying muted yellow or orange fall leaf color, Florida maple is suitable for use as a specimen, park or street tree, or for use in woodland areas. The round- to oval-growth habit makes it an ideal shade or street tree. The edges of the leaves turn under slightly, giving them a distinct appearance. The trunk on older specimens resembles that on the northern sugar maple, which is an attractive gray with longitudinal ribs.
Figure 1. Full Form - Acer floridanum: Florida maple Credit: Gitta Hasing, UF/IFAS
General Information
Scientific name: Acer floridanum
Pronunciation: AY-ser flor-i-da-num
Common name(s): Florida maple, southern sugar maple
Family: sapindaceae
USDA hardiness zones: 6B through 9A (Figure 2)
Origin: native to southeastern United States
UF/IFAS Invasive Assessment Status: native
Uses: highway median; shade; street without sidewalk; deck or patio; tree lawn 4–6 feet wide; tree lawn > 6 ft. wide; Bonsai
Pest resistance: free of serious pests and diseases
Use and Management
Growing in full sun or partial shade, Florida maple will tolerate a wide variety of soil types but is not salt-tolerant. Established trees look better when given some irrigation during dry weather. While leaves will eventually fall, many remain in the central portion of the canopy for much of the winter, giving the tree a somewhat unkempt appearance. The limbs of maple are strong and not susceptible to wind damage. Roots are often shallow and reach the surface at an early age, even in sandy soil. Plant in an area where grass below it will not need to be mowed so the roots will not be damaged by the mower.
Available cultivars include: `Endowment Columnar', columnar form, red and yellow fall color; `Goldspire', dense, compact, pyramidal form, gold fall color; `Majesty', ovate form, resistant to frost cracking and sun scald, red-orange fall color; and `Sweet Shadow Cutleaf', unusual vase-shaped growth form and variable yellow-orange fall color.
Propagation is by seeds or cuttings.
Pests
Cottony Maple scale, borers, aphids, and gall mites may be problems for Florida Maple.
Diseases
Florida Maple can be susceptible to a wilt disease
Reference
Koeser, A. K., Hasing, G., Friedman, M. H., and Irving, R. B. 2015. Trees: North & Central Florida. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
