Are you thinking of planting a striking Maple Tree in your garden? Well, you will be pleased to know that there are about 150 or more species of Maple across the world. Washington also has quite a few Maple species thriving on its soil. Read on to discover all the varied types of Maple Trees in Washington!
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Maple Trees belong to the Acer genre. These ornamental trees can be small-sized, multi-stemmed, shrubby specimens or stately, medium to tall sized trees. Many of these trees grow in the temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere and eastern Asia. Most of them are native to Canada and the US.
These deciduous ornamentals are well-loved for their spectacular fall foliage. Their leaves develop beautiful shades of flaming orange, red and yellow-orange hues. Since most Maple varieties have large, distinctive leaves, these trees are a sight to behold in fall. They also provide ample shade due to their dense crown.
The wood of Maple Trees is light-hued and straight-grained. It is used for woodwork flooring, plywood, furniture, and even firewood. These trees also yield red-hued, two-winged fruits known as samaras. The syrup acquired from these trees is used to produce the commercially popular maple syrup.
Most Maple Trees can reach a height of 30 to 70 feet and an equal width. Maple trees grow in and around residential properties, dense forests, riverbanks, and more landscapes. They are quite easy to grow, and most of them are drought-resistant and hardy trees. If you want to grow them in your garden, you will need to provide them with bright sunlight for about 6 hours during the day. You can plant them in speckled or bright sites. Make sure to fulfill their watering and soil requirements to facilitate their beautiful growth.
The state of Washington is a densely forested state, the maple tree is only one of many common types of trees in Washington State.
Here are some common types of Maple Trees in Washington State that you can grow in your garden:
1. Vine Maple (Acer Circinatum)
Vine Maple – autumn 
Vine Maple – summer
Vine Maple is a large shrub or deciduous tree with a mature height of 10 to 12 feet. This multi-stemmed, spreading, shrubby vine-like specimen thrives in sun or deep shade and moist, free-draining soils. It grows in moist woods, dense forests, and along stream banks. Wine Maple has long-running, low branches and opposite, simple, heart-shaped, lobed, doubly toothed, green leaves. It has orange, red, and yellow fall foliage. Vine Maple grows clusters of greenish-white blooms with deep red sepals and deep red, winged samaras.
2. Bigleaf Maple (Acer Macrophyllum)
Native to California, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, Bigleaf Maple is a deciduous tree with a 40 to 75 feet mature height. Some trees can grow up to 100 feet. It features a broad-rounded or an oval crown with a 40 to 75 feet spread. Bigleaf Maple thrives in free-draining, moist soils in full sun to part shade. It features a deeply furrowed, reddish-brown bark, deeply lobed, glossy, medium to deep green, massive leaves, and scented, tiny, greenish-yellow blooms that grow in long, cylindrical racemes. It has yellow to orange-yellow fall foliage.
3. Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)
Sugar Maple (acer saccharum) leaves 
Sugar Maple (acer saccharum)
Native to Eastern North America, Sugar Maple is a deciduous, 40 to 80 feet tall tree with a dense, rounded crown of 30 to 60 feet. This slow-growing tree thrives in fertile, moist, slightly acidic soils in full sun. It features medium green leaves that develop a yellow-orange hue in fall. It grows two-winged samaras. Its name refers to the sugary maple sap used to make maple syrup. The leaf of the Sugar Maple is the Canadian national symbol.
4. Rocky Mountain Maple (Acer Glabrum)
Rocky Mountain Maple is a type of broadleaf deciduous Maple Tree. This multi-stemmed, upright specimen grows to a height of 30 feet. It grows well in moist, moderately acidic, sandy, loamy, rocky, and gravelly soils in full sun to part shade. This tree features simple, opposite, wide, lobed, double-toothed, green leaves with blue-green undersides. It has yellow fall foliage, yellowish-green, 5-petaled flowers, and winged samaras.
5. Red Maple (Acer Rubrum)
Red Maple (Acer Rubrum Leaf 
Bowhall Red Maple (acer rubrum ‘bowhall’)
Native to Central and Eastern North America, Red Maple is a 40 to 70 feet tall deciduous tree with a widespread, oval to rounded crown of 30 to 50 feet. This exceptionally cold-hardy tree thrives in full sun to part shade in moist, slightly acidic, free-draining soils. It’s known as Red Maple because its emerging growths, such as leafstalks, twigs, leaves, fruits, and flowers, are red or red-tinged. It also has spectacular red fall foliage. It features lobed, toothed, and medium to dark green leaves with grey-green undersides, monoecious flowers, and two-winged samaras.
