Acer negundo 'SENSATION' ash-leaved maple, box elder

Sensation is a selection made by Warren Carnefix in 1980, Oregon, USA, and only recently has this tree been introduced to Europe where it is a sensation, too. This box elder is a deciduous tree with pinnate leaves that emerge coppery red and mature to rich green in summer. Still, top leaves of the crown or insolated shell of a shrub remain red all summer long like e.g. liquidambar acalycina until autumn when all leaves change to bright golden orange and red in autumn.

Sensation maple grows fast but a little slower than the species, making a good oval to rounded shape with age. In the nursery trade you can get shrub forms as well as half-standards, and obviously standard trees that look best, all of which show a dense habit and plentiful of colourful foliage to admire.

Ash-leaved maple can be pruned to achieve dense plants in smaller sizes or left to its own devices and you can be assured that it will develop a nice shape naturally once established. It can take almost any well-drained soil but prefers constant moisture and medium fertile soil. Grow it in full sun or only a light shade. Very hardy to approx. -45°C (USDA zone 2).

Last update 07-01-2012