Georgia homeowners can soon add a bit more of a blaze to the
fall color
that sweeps through the state every year. A
University
of Georgia scientist says a new red maple variety will offer
vibrant
fall color, even in south Georgia.
A new red maple variety called "Somerset" will turn up the
heat for
fall color in yards all over Georgia.
"Somerset is a cross between October Glory, which does well
down here,
and Autumn Flame," said John Ruter, a horticulturist at the
Tifton, Ga.,
campus of the UGA College of
Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences.
"This tree gives us a deeper, I'd say more of a purplish fall
color
almost magenta as opposed to the more intense red usually seen
in an October
Glory," Ruter said.
He also likes the unusual silvery leaf backs in
Somerset. When
the wind blows and the silvery-back leaves flutter around, it's
an attractive
effect, he said.
|
NEW RED MAPLE
IS TURNING
UP THE HEAT in Georgia landscapes, said John Ruter, in
photo, a horticulturist
with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. "'Somerset'
will be a rich deep purple that will be great in yards all over
the state,"
Ruter said. He expects Somerset to be available in nurseries in
1999. (Photo
courtesy the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.) |
Ruter has tested this new tree all over the state.
He said
it grows well, resists disease and has
Most of the 55 tree varieties available at nurseries come
from Tennessee
or farther north. Many of
these varieties may not be well-suited to Georgia's heat and
humidity.
"There are trees out there," he said. "It's just a matter of
picking
the ones that are right for
Georgia, particularly south Georgia."
The National Arboretum
released Somerset in 1996, so Ruter said it may still be hard to
find.
"A
good-sized tree will take at least three years to produce,
so they'll
be on the market shortly," he
said.
Choosing a tree variety well-suited to your area can be a
life-or-death
decision for the tree. Ill-
adapted varieties are susceptible to diseases, including
leaf spot,
tar spot and stem cancers, and
grow slowly if they survive.
"The growth rate can be almost doubled by selecting a local
tree," Ruter
said.
Your county extension office has more information about
selecting, planting
and taking care of
trees in your landscape.
