Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum)
Nothing heralds the arrival of fall more than the blazing red of a bigtooth maple. Native to the Intermountain West, this small-statured tree prefers canyon drainages and ravines where moisture is more abundant. It is considered by some botanists to be the western variant of the Eastern sugar maple. Shrubby in growth when young (and often when older), it is becoming more available in the nursery trade. Bigtooth maple is frequently grown from seed; not all trees exhibit outstanding color. A trip to the nursery in fall lets you evaluate autumn foliage for yourself. It is among our choicest native plants with numerous landscape applications.