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10-09-2003, 02:22 PM

(JW) wrote in message om...
I have a 10 feet Red sunset maple in a pot that I would like to plant
at the south west side of my house to be used as a shade tree, you
know to shade the house from the afternoon sun. My question is if I
plant the tree in the intended location, the tree only gets the sun
from noon to sunset, can it survive on this kind of condition ?

Appreciate if any expert in this group can share their experience.

Samples of maple shade tolerance on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being
the most shade tolerant: red maple= 6.0-7.9 tolerant; sugar maple= 10
(most tolerant maple); boxelder= 1.8, very intolerant; silver maple=
5.8, intermediate.

(Source: "Native Trees For Urban And Rural America, A Planting Design
Manual For Environmental DesignersGary L. Hightshoe)

This is consistent with my experience. I planted a sugar and a red
among hybrid poplars which quickly grew and shaded-out the maples.
This was 1979. The poplars had to be removed as they were dying. The
sugar thrived in the shade and is now about 50 ft. tall. The red,
which is ordinarily faster than the sugar survived but is spindly and
about 15 ft. tall. Other reds planted in partial sun averaged at
least 3 ft. linear growth per year.

Jack