Acer truncatum

Position. Full sun to part shade, by the Missouri Botanical Garden, North Carolina State Extension and the RHS. The RHS says it takes an exposed or a sheltered site.

Soil and water. Missouri says it grows easily in ordinary well-drained soil of medium moisture and does best where the soil is moist, acid and free draining; the RHS lists chalk, clay, loam and sand, moist but well drained, at any pH. Missouri gives its water need as medium.

Heat, drought and cold. The American references report good heat and drought tolerance once a tree is established, Missouri with the word reportedly, and the RHS finds some drought tolerance once established. The RHS rates it H7, its hardiest rating, written for UK and European winters. On the American zone system Missouri gives zones 4 to 8, Oregon State hardy to zone 4, and Trees and Shrubs Online zones 5 to 6. No Australian reference read covers this species, so there is no Australian climate zone, frost figure or drought rating for it here.

Pruning and propagation. The RHS calls for minimal pruning, and gives seed or grafting for raising it.

Pests and problems. Missouri and North Carolina State Extension report no serious insect or disease problems. The RHS lists it, for the UK, as possibly susceptible to acer gall mite, aphids, caterpillars and horse chestnut scale, and to verticillium wilt, acer leaf scorch and honey fungus.

The Missouri Botanical Garden rates Shantung maple highly as a small tree for landscapes and streets, and as a specimen beside patios and in small spaces. North Carolina State Extension says its size makes it a good shade tree for small yards and a street tree under utility lines. For street planting, see the HortOS guides to street trees and canopy and to specifying and procuring trees. No reference read gives planting centres for it.

HortFlora, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria's flora of garden plants, treats the Pacific Sunset type maples as hybrids of Norway maple and this species: 'Warrenred', known as Pacific Sunset, and 'Keithsform', known as Norwegian Sunset. The Sunset hybrids growers list have their own pages, and what is written here is the straight species, one of the maples.

Read the full name on the list. The species itself is sold as Acer truncatum or Shantung maple; the Pacific Sunset, Ruby Sunset, Urban Sunset and Crimson Sunset lines are hybrids with Norway maple, and Oregon State University describes them as differing from each other in branch structure, habit and leaf colour; the figures on this page are for the species only. Pot sizes and grades are set out in the guide to nursery pot sizes, and what to check in the roots and canopy in the guide to judging nursery plant quality. Stock crossing a state border travels under the state and territory biosecurity rules on moving plants and soil.