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Hi all, I moved to Rockwall last year and have two young trees that the builder planted. I think they might be Silver Maples.. which i've read can be horrible for driveways, sidewalks, foundations, etc.. Shallow roots..
I was all set to buy two new trees at Covington's Nursury when I noticed that they have Autumn Blaze maples that looked a lot like my trees. Autumn Blaze is better than Silver right?
Can anyone identify what I have based on this pics? Thanks!
Its absolutely a Silver Maple. Not an Autumn Blaze, which is a cross between a Red Maple and a Silver. They grow fast so you will have a nice sized tree quickly. Fast growth equals weak wood.
I don’t think it’s a pure Silver maple, probably one of those Freeman hybrids (rubrum x saccaharinum), there’s many different ones besides ‘Autumn Blaze’.
Your trees are Silver maples They are relatively fast-growing and attract birds/wildlife. It's often used as a street tree since it's pretty tolerant of pollution and other urban conditions.
The tree does have relatively shallow roots and the softer branches can break during strong storms. They are good shade trees and you will have a nice sized tree pretty quickly.
They live around 120 years and while they prefer damper soils they can do well in many soil types.
As far as sidewalks/driveways, it is best to plant them no closer than 20' from sidewalks/driveways. Generally though driveway/sidewalk damage doesn't occur until the tree is much larger than the ones in your photo. Those are just lil' ones
The Autumn Blaze maple is actually a hybrid of two different maples: the Silver maple and the Red maple.
It has some characteristics of the Silver maple (shallow roots, fast growth) and some characteristics of the Red maple (heavier wood, smaller adult size). While the majority of maples are gorgeous in the fall, the Autumn blaze turns a fiery red color. It does take a few years to get established; the first couple of years the fall color doesn't look like much.
The Autumn Blaze is recommended for USDA zones 3-8 while the less fussy Silver maple grows zones 3-9.
Wow, thanks for the quick and very informative responses everyone! Now that I know what I'm looking at.. I'm concerned about the distance from the driveway and sidewalk.. see the picture below..
That being said.. would a Bigtooth Maple be a better medium size tree for this same tree placement? I read they have deeper and stronger roots. The area that I live gets very strong winds on a regular basis. Our HOA requires two shade trees in the front yard. (oh HOAs...)
The Autumn Blaze is recommended for USDA zones 3-8 while the less fussy Silver maple grows zones 3-9.
Silver maple barely grows in zone 8, so I doubt they’d live long in zone 9. They do not like our long hot summers here, and always look stunted compared to the big ones up north.
Wow, thanks for the quick and very informative responses everyone! Now that I know what I'm looking at.. I'm concerned about the distance from the driveway and sidewalk.. see the picture below..
That being said.. would a Bigtooth Maple be a better medium size tree for this same tree placement? I read they have deeper and stronger roots. The area that I live gets very strong winds on a regular basis. Our HOA requires two shade trees in the front yard. (oh HOAs...)
These are good suggestions, although I’d add Bur Oak to the list...
Those are going to be awfully big trees for such a small yard. I'd take them out while they are still small enough to manage easily and plant something that will never get big.
In fact, for a yard that small, I would not have trees in that little lawn. If the HOA requires a tree in the front yard, check and see if your city or utility company publishes a list of trees to plant under power lines. Then study those looking for something small that looks good and will grow in your area.
Your best bet is to go to a nursery and see what they carry. Usually what they have, is whats best for your area.
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They are relatively fast-growing and attract birds/wildlife. It's often used as a street tree since it's pretty tolerant of pollution and other urban conditions. 
