Acer saccharum 'Crescendo'

Crescendo Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum ‘Crescendo’ is a premium sugar maple cultivar selected for its strong branch angles, uniform oval habit, and exceptional fall color reliability. It was developed to improve structural integrity and performance over seed-grown sugar maples, making it well suited for long-term landscape use.

Spring foliage emerges bright green, maturing to deep green through summer and forming a dense, symmetrical canopy. In fall, ‘Crescendo’ builds gradually into a dramatic display of gold, orange, and fiery red, often with excellent consistency from year to year. The growth habit is upright to oval-rounded, producing a stately large shade tree with excellent form.

‘Crescendo’ performs best in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soils. Like other sugar maples, it does not tolerate compacted soils, poor drainage, or heavy salt exposure, but excels in parks, campuses, and high-quality residential landscapes.

Size



Width: 40–50 ft



Height: 60–70 ft



Hardiness



USDA Zones: 4–8



Best Uses


Large shade tree for lawns and parks



Campuses and institutional plantings



Long-term residential landscapes



Native and woodland-style plantings



Fall color focal point

Plant type

Shade Tree, Street Tree

Height

45-55'

Width

25-35'

Hardiness zones

5–8

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Growth rate

Moderate

Bloom time

Spring

Leaf color

Dark Green

Fall color

Orange, Yellow

Soil

Acidic, Loamy

Landscape use

Provide Shade, Specimen

Shape

Oval Upright

Bark

Rough

Fruit

Yes

Deer resistant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No