Crimson King Maple Growing and Plant Care Guide

What Is Crimson King Maple?

The Crimson King maple is a hybrid cross between the Japanese Maple and Box Elder. This tree is very unusual because of its autumn colors which include red, purple, orange, and yellow leaves that are often mixed together in one spectacular display. The intense autumn coloration resembles bright fire or flames when light shines through it.

It was discovered growing wild by chance and planted along a road named after the Canadian Prince Bandar bin-Sultan near Fort McMurray, Alberta in Alberta Canada.

It was developed as a cultivar by Woodland Nurseries Ltd., who named it Mohawk. In 2005, it received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) for its outstanding beauty.

Crimson King Maple Care & Maintenance:

Crimson King maple is easy to grow as long as it gets sun and well-drained soil. The best way to grow a Crimson King maple tree for optimum growth is to plant it in the spring or fall during optimal weather conditions.

Choose a location that receives full sunlight throughout the day. It likes its roots cool, so dig a hole twice as wide and three times as deep as the root ball of your new Crimson King Maple tree.

Spread out the roots before putting them in the ground, tamp down gently, cover with topsoil, then water thoroughly.

Keeping your newly planted Crimson King Maple watered through summer can be challenging because they want their soil evenly moist but not soggy all summer long while also getting enough sun. 

There’s nothing worse than a sappy Crimson King Maple when it gets too much water. If you can’t keep up with watering and still get appropriate sun, then consider planting your new tree in a large pot that you fill with rich soil so that it doesn’t have to compete for nutrients or sunlight.

 Light Requirements:

Crimson King maples are best planted in full sunlight to partial shade and like it hot. Make sure there is good airflow around the tree to help prevent fungal disease development.

Water Requirements:

Crimson King maple requires plenty of water. Regular deep watering is necessary for their first year or so while they develop a root system, but once established little watering is needed. If you have a very long, hot summer then it needs more frequent watering than if you live in an area with cooler summers.

 Soil Requirements:

Crimson King maple trees appreciate soil that drains well yet retains moisture. The best time to plant your crimson king is in the spring or fall.

A soft, evenly moist soilless mix with good drainage is ideal. Avoid letting it dry out during the growing season as this will promote disease development.

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Fertilizer Requirements:

Crimson King maples do not need much fertilizer if planted in sandy loam soils. It’s better to use slow-release organic fertilizers like Espoma Earth Juice Organic Fertilizer.

 If you’re using chemical fertilizer on your Crimson King maple tree then it’s important to apply slowly throughout the year and only as directed on the packaging of the specific brand of fertilizer that you choose to use.

The most important factor is that you never over-fertilize your crimson king as this can be toxic by causing the roots to become leggy and too large for its container.

Pruning Requirements:

Crimson King maple trees should not be pruned while dormant in early spring before new growth appears, but once it begins budding, then prune lightly to remove any dead or broken branches and to shape its overall form.

Deadheading flowers slow down the production of seeds which may drop and create a mess in your landscape bed or garden where the Crimson King maple has been planted. 

Don’t prune too heavily though as this will slow down future flowering shrubbery growth!

Temperature and Humidity Requirements:

Crimson King maple trees like hot weather, so it’s best to plant them in the hottest part of your landscape. They also need plenty of sunlight to thrive and will not tolerate shade or cold temperatures.

Reduce watering during colder months but don’t let the soil dry out completely. Watering once every two weeks is sufficient for the Crimson King Maple tree.

Crimson King maples are at risk of root rot if they’re planted where the soils freeze, so make sure you only plant them in areas that don’t experience hard winter freezes otherwise they’ll die over time!

Potting and repotting Requirements:

Crimson King maple trees will do well if planted in a large container or planting bed, but they do require repotting periodically.

While it’s not required to repot often, you’ll want to consider it after the tree hits about six feet in height and every five years thereafter to avoid root rot from acidic soils.

Planting Requirements:

Plant your crimson king tree during the spring or fall only! Set the plant slightly deeper than where it was previously growing because roots tend to grow out toward the soil surface rather than down.

Allow at least two weeks for your crimson king maple tree to become established before watering deeply. It should be hardy enough for you to begin fertilizing several months after planting.

Another excellent option would be to find a local nursery that has the Crimson King Maple tree for sale and pick up a container-grown specimen.

Moisture Requirements:

The best time to plant them is during spring or fall when there are no periods of droughts because crimson king maple trees require regular deep watering while establishing their root system. Overwatering can result in fungal diseases, however, so it’s important not to overwater your plants.

Crimson King maples need plenty of sunlight so they should be planted in a location that meets these requirements, such as right next to the house or under an overhang on the south side of your home.

If you don’t have enough space for planting Crimson King maples then consider growing them in containers while they’re young and transplanting them into a larger container or into the ground once they get bigger.

They love to grow indoors with artificial light if you want one for a focal point inside your living room!

Crimson King Maple Propagation:

There are several ways to propagate Crimson King Maple trees including air layering, rooting cuttings, and grafting onto the rootstock of another tree.

For example, if you wanted to grow a new Crimson King Maple tree in the ground then you could perform an air-layering technique. Cut a slit into the main trunk just below the soil line and insert some sphagnum moss or potting soil into it as well as placing some rooting hormone on top. When planting a crimson king maple from seed be sure that they’re planted deep enough underground because they have poor germination rates when they’re placed too close to the surface.

Crimson King maple seeds require stratification for around 60 days before attempting to germinate them. You can put seeds in a moist paper towel that’s folded over and place it in plastic bags filled with moist peat moss to do this, or just place the seeds directly into the soil of your container garden.

Grow the Crimson King Maple seedlings until they’re big enough to transplant into bigger containers or even into the ground outdoors when they’re about one foot tall. 

It takes a while for crimson king maple trees to grow large enough for transplanting so be patient!

A fast-growing variety is called ‘Red Sunset’ but you can also grow your own from cuttings if you have a mature tree already growing. Choose healthy branches and keep only ones that have two buds on each shoot since these are the only ones that will grow roots.

Flowering and Fruiting:

Crimson King maples are one of the best trees to use when making bonsai because they have attractive leaves with brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow during fall while also having a unique upright-oval shape.

Whole branches can be transplanted onto another tree if you desire as well so don’t shy away from using cuttings for this purpose either!

The Crimson King Maple is perfect for growing in containers since it won’t get too large if kept inside and it will be able to serve as a great focal point inside your home all year long!

The flowers are white and racemes or clusters appear during September through May while the fruits are bright red and stay on the branches for a long period of time.

Crimson King maples are hardy to USDA plant hardiness zones 2-7 and are best grown in moist, well-draining loam soil with high organic content.

They prefer cooler temperatures such as those in northern regions so they should be planted against south or east facing walls if you live somewhere like Zone 5 or higher.

Crimson King Maple Problems:

Crimson King maples are native to the Midwest and Southeast regions of America, so they might not be the best trees to grow if you live in an area that has very hot summers.

They can have trouble with root rot when exposed to standing water for long periods of time and may lose their leaves prematurely or develop leaf spots as a result of this condition.

If you notice yellowing between your tree’s veins then it is indeed a sign of poor health due to a nitrogen deficiency from over-watering.

A light dusting of sulfur will help fix this problem but only give fertilizer during the spring months because they don’t need much food until fall/winter comes around.

The Crimson King Maple is also susceptible to getting mites, aphids, and scale insects even though it does not have too many other problems compared to some of the more sensitive maples.

It’s important to place this tree in an area that has plenty of sun so it can grow to its full potential and produce lots of colorful leaves each year during fall!