
Two Colorful New Maples Resist Bugs, ColdBy Jill Lee January
5, 1998Breeders and nurseries who want more from their maples may want to catch the
"Red Rocket," a fiery-red maple cultivar just released by scientists
with the U.S. National
Arboretum. Red Rocket has outstanding cold and disease resistance. Also new from the arboretum: "New World," an orange-red maple line
that is tailor-made for city landscaping. The U.S. National Arboretum is part
of USDA's Agricultural Research Service. Both trees demonstrate resistance to the potato leafhopper, a serious pest
of maple trees. In tests, Red Rocket suffered only 2 percent leaf damage when
challenged by a hopper attack, compared to 9 to 10 percent leaf damage on a
popular commercial cultivar. Red Rocket thrives in USDA growing zone 3, where temperatures can go as low
as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. It even appears to grow more rapidly in northern
climates, a trait that may be traced in part to the cultivar's origins in
northern Minnesota. Red Rocket's columnar shape and cold resistance make it ideal as a line of
defense against high winds or bad weather around barns or livestock shelters. It
would also work well as a shelter and screen at park picnic areas or around
industrial areas. New World can thrive in USDA growing zone 4, where temperatures may drop to
-30 degrees Fahrenheit. But its best quality is its shading capacity. Unlike
most maples, it branches up, then out, similar to an American elm. Its
excellent shading and cold resistance make New World ideal for gracing city
streets and homes in the northeastern and midwestern United States. The new cultivars are easy for nurseries and breeders to propagate from
softwood cuttings using standard rooting techniques. Cuttings of these releases
will be available from the
U.S. National Plant
Germplasm System. A limited number will be available from wholesale
nurseries in 1999. Scientific contact: A.M. Townsend, USDA-ARS,
U.S. National Arboretum,
Floral and
Nursery Plants Research Unit, Glenn Dale, Md. Phone: (301) 344-4175, fax:
(301) 344-3441, nadt@ars- grin.gov. Story contacts Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit U.S. Department of Agriculture | |