Scientific Name
Acer saccharum ‘Caddo Sugar Maple’
The Caddo sugar maple has become a favorite along the Front Range in recent years, offering a way to grow the beloved eastern sugar maple without the usual struggles with summer heat and alkaline soils, which often lead to chlorosis and yellowing foliage. The main attraction is its brilliant red fall color, though it also serves well as a shade tree through the growing season. It may reach about 40 feet in height, though our experience with it in this region is still developing.
Caddo sugar maple originates from a disjunct population discovered in western Oklahoma. Trees available today may be grown from seed or selected cultivars such as ‘Flashfire.’ In overall appearance, it closely resembles the standard sugar maple, familiar to many from the Canadian flag, and it produces the typical paired samaras.
Given its origin, this tree shows strong tolerance for drought and low irrigation, and it may actually perform poorly on consistently wet sites. This tree is named for the indigenous Caddo Nation of Oklahoma.