Lower Risk

Acer x freemanii (Freeman Maple)

(Acer freemanii, Acer rubrum x saccharinum)

This hybrid tree is a naturally occurring cross between Acer rubrum (Red Maple) and A. saccharinum (Silver Maple), native to the Eastern United States. Oliver M. Freeman of the National Arboretum made the first controlled crosses between red maple and silver maple in 1933. The species is also a horticultural cross that gives rise to several cultivars. It is unknown how long this hybrid has been in the plant trade, but its parents have been for more than 50 years. Neither this hybrid nor its parents have become naturalised in Australia or anywhere in the world, nor regarded as invasive. The species produces fruits containing samaras (winged seeds) which are wind-dispersed. A related species Acer negundo is a listed species in the ACT and considered an environmental weed in NSW and VIC.