Digging deeperPlant Library

Princeton Gold Maple

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Princeton Gold Maple foliage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Description:

A beautiful shade tree which features bright golden yellow foliage in spring that retains its coloration over the entire season; tough and durable, makes a good street tree as well; protect bark from sunscald when young

Ornamental Features

Princeton Gold Maple has attractive yellow deciduous foliage which emerges gold in spring on a tree with a round habit of growth. The lobed leaves are highly ornamental but do not develop any appreciable fall color. It is smothered in stunning corymbs of lemon yellow flowers along the branches in early spring before the leaves.

Landscape Attributes

Princeton Gold Maple is a dense deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds and squirrels to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Princeton Gold Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade

Planting & Growing

Princeton Gold Maple will grow to be about 45 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 40 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 7 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.