Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple - Evergreen Trees Direct

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple

$170.00

Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Size: 30cm/33cm

30cm/33cm 40cm/45L 100L

Current Stock Height Guides

40cm/45L: 1.7m – 3m Approx.

Height guide disclaimer: Height ranges are approximate only. As living products, plant heights naturally vary between individual plants, batches, and seasons. No guarantee is given that supplied plants will fall within the stated range. If minimum heights are required, you mustconfirm current batch heights with Evergreen Trees Direct prior to purchase. Variation in height is normal and is not grounds for return, refund, replacement, or compensation.

Mature Height & Width

Mature Height: 8m to 10m

Mature Width: 4m to 6m

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple is expected to grow 40cm to 60cm per year (moderate).

Root Ball Dimensions

Use this as a reference when digging your planting hole. We recommend digging at least 10% wider than the dimensions below to encourage strong root development.

30cm Pot: 33cm (W) × 30cm (D)
40cm/45L Pot: 44cm (W) × 41.5cm (D)
50cm Pot / 70L Pot: 55cm (W) × 41.8cm (D)
100L Bag: 50.6cm (W) × 52.8cm (D)
150L Bag: 66cm (W) × 55cm (D)
200L Bag: 71.5cm (W) × 60.5cm (D)
300L Bag: 88cm (W) × 63.8cm (D)
400L Bag: 99cm (W) × 66cm (D)
500L Bag: 122cm (W) × 66cm (D)
750L Bag: 134cm (W) × 69cm (D)
1000L Bag: 146.3cm (W) × 71.5cm (D)
2000L Bag: 176cm (W) × 82.5cm (D)

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Email: sales@evergreentrees.com.au

Phone: (03) 7042 3318

About Your New Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple

Acer platanoides 'Crimson Sentry' is a narrow, upright deciduous maple with dark burgundy foliage that holds its colour right through the growing season. The leaves are broad and lobed, and the branching is short and tightly held, producing a distinctly columnar outline. Small yellow green flowers tinged red open in early spring.

Full sun gives the deepest leaf colour. It takes a range of soils including clay, provided water does not sit, and copes with urban conditions, wind and short dry periods once established. Growth is moderate at 40 to 60 centimetres a year. Fully frost hardy and best in cool temperate and temperate zones.

The narrow crown makes it useful along driveways, in verges, between buildings and anywhere a tree is wanted without lateral spread. Planted in a line it forms a strong vertical rhythm. For tight urban sites it delivers height, colour and formality where a spreading maple would simply not fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Crimson Sentry Maple

What is Acer platanoides 'Crimson Sentry'?

Crimson Sentry is a columnar deciduous Norway maple with dark burgundy foliage that holds its colour all season. It is a compact sport of Crimson King, with short branches held close to the trunk, producing a narrow upright outline. Small yellow green flowers tinged red open in early spring before the leaves expand.

How big does Crimson Sentry grow?

It reaches about 8 to 10 metres in height with a narrow crown of only 4 to 6 metres across, which is the whole point of the cultivar. Growth is upright and tightly held rather than spreading. That ratio makes it usable in verges and narrow beds where a normal maple would be impossible.

Does Crimson Sentry keep its purple colour?

Yes. The burgundy to near purple foliage holds from spring through to leaf drop rather than greening off in summer, which is unusual among purple leaved trees. Colour is deepest in full sun. In shade the leaves take on a bronze green cast and the vertical form becomes looser and less defined.

Does Crimson Sentry need full sun?

Full sun gives the best colour and the tightest form. It will grow in part shade, but the crown opens, growth becomes drawn and the foliage loses depth. It handles reflected heat off paving and walls well, which suits it to driveways, verges and courtyards in built up areas.

Is Crimson Sentry frost tolerant?

Yes, it is fully frost hardy and untroubled by cold winters, being a Norway maple by parentage. It drops its leaves and sits dormant through the cold months. Very late frosts can damage emerging spring foliage in exposed sites, but the tree pushes new growth again without lasting harm.

How far apart should I plant Crimson Sentry in a row?

For a formal line or driveway avenue, plant 3 metres apart so the narrow crowns form a continuous vertical screen. Where each tree is to stand as a separate form, allow 3 to 4 metres. Keep at least 2 metres clear of paving edges and boundaries to allow for trunk growth.

How do I care for Crimson Sentry?

Water deeply through the first two summers, then only during extended dry periods. Mulch to 75 millimetres, kept clear of the trunk, and feed with a balanced slow release fertiliser in early spring. Prune in late winter to remove dead or crossing wood. The columnar shape develops on its own and needs no trimming.

Enriched Planting Mix (AO Certified)

$21.95

Enriched Planting Mix is a certified organic blend of Pure Magic Compost, composted animal manure, gypsum, composted coarse bark and a wetting agent, bagged in 30L. It is built to be dug through existing garden soil at planting time rather than used on its own, and the gypsum is what sets it apart from a plain compost.

Gypsum helps break up heavy clay so water and roots can move through it, while the compost and manure return organic matter and nutrient to tired ground. The coarse bark holds structure and keeps air around the root zone, and the wetting agent keeps moisture in the soil longer after rain or watering.

Use it when planting trees, shrubs, roses, fruit trees and exotic garden plants, particularly into clay. Dig a hole twice the width of the pot and 7 centimetres deeper, then mix roughly one third planting mix through the excavated soil. Spread 7 centimetres of that improved soil in the base before setting the plant in.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Enriched Planting Mix

What is Enriched Planting Mix made from?

It is a blend of Pure Magic Compost, composted animal manure, gypsum, composted coarse bark and a wetting agent. Each part has a job. The compost and manure supply organic matter and nutrient, the gypsum works on clay structure, the bark keeps air around the roots and the wetting agent holds moisture in the soil.

What plants is it suitable for?

It suits exotic garden plants, including roses, ornamental and deciduous trees, fruit trees, shrubs and perennials, and it earns its keep most on heavy clay sites. It is a planting mix rather than a potting mix, so its job is improving soil at planting time. Phosphorus sensitive natives are the one clear exception.

Is it safe for natives?

No, not for the phosphorus sensitive ones. The composted animal manure in this blend lifts phosphorus well above what Proteaceae such as Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea and Protea will tolerate, and the result can be leaf burn, dieback and plant death. Use the Native Potting Mix for those species, or plant them into unimproved local soil.

Is it certified organic?

Yes. It is a certified organic product with no chemical additives, which is why the manure and compost in it are fully composted rather than raw. That makes it sound around fruit trees and vegetable beds, and it means you are adding genuine organic matter to your soil rather than a synthetic conditioner.

How much do I need?

Work on roughly one third planting mix to two thirds of the soil you dug out of the hole. For a shrub out of a 200 millimetre pot that is only a few litres. An advanced tree going into a large hole will take considerably more. Judge the quantity by the volume of the hole rather than the size of the plant.

Can I use it in pots?

It is not a potting mix and should not be used on its own in a container. The blend is designed to be diluted through garden soil, and used straight in a pot it holds too much water and settles badly. For containers, reach for a premium potting mix, or the native mix if you are potting natives.

Does it need to be watered in?

Yes. Water the plant well several hours before you plant it, then water thoroughly again once the hole is backfilled and the soil firmed down. That first deep watering settles the improved soil around the root ball and drives out air pockets. Keep the water up over the first few months while the roots establish.

View full details

Type: Garden Supplies

Enriched Planting Mix (AO Certified)

$21.95

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Uses in my Garden

Avenue Planting
Feature Tree
Street Tree
Council or Civic Landscapes

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple works in an:

Woodland Garden – layered, naturalistic design under dappled light.
Formal Garden – structured, symmetrical design with clipped shapes.
Modern Garden – sleek, minimal, and design-led planting.

Is Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple Evergreen or Deciduous?

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple is an Deciduous (Defoliates throughout colder months) Tree

Mature Height & Width

Mature Height: 8m to 10m

Mature Width: 4m to 6m

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple is expected to grow 40cm to 60cm per year (moderate).

Growth Rate of Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple is expected to grow 40cm to 60cm per year (moderate).

They are considered to have a:

Medium Growth Rate

Frost Tolerance & Ideal Climate to plant Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple

Is Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple frost tolerant?

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple is Frost Hardy – Survives heavy and frequent frost without damage.

Does Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple Flower?

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ produces clusters of small yellow-green flowers in early spring before the deep burgundy foliage emerges. Though modest, these early blooms provide pollen for beneficial insects and signal the start of its vigorous seasonal growth.

Does Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple flower?

Yes - Flowers

Flowering Period:

Spring

Flower Type:

Clustered

Flower Colour:

Red

Is Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple an Australian Native Tree?

No

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple is Native to A cultivar of the Norway Maple (Acer platanoides), which is native to Europe and western Asia.

What is the Wildlife Value of Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple ?

Its dense, upright canopy offers shelter and nesting sites for small birds, while its spring flowers provide an early food source for native bees, hoverflies and other beneficial insects. This contributes to stronger biodiversity in urban and suburban garden spaces.

How much Sunlight does Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple need?

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple will thrive best in:

Full Sun

Preferred Soil?

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ performs best in well-drained loam or sandy loam soils and prefers slightly acidic to neutral conditions. It can struggle in heavy clay or poorly drained areas unless improved with organic matter to enhance structure and drainage. Keep soil evenly moist during establishment, then transition to deep, occasional watering as the tree matures, particularly during prolonged dry spells.

Is Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple Drought Tolerant?

Is Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple Drought tolerant?

As a young tree it requires regular watering, but once established Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ develops moderate drought tolerance. It handles short dry spells well, though deep, occasional watering during extended heat helps maintain leaf colour and canopy strength.

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How To Plant Your Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple

Site: Choose a well-drained position in full sun to part shade with room for the canopy to develop.

Soil preparation: Enrich the planting area with quality compost and aged manure for a strong establishment phase.

Hole: Dig twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth.

Planting: Position level with the surrounding soil, backfill gently, firm in, then water deeply to settle the roots.

Recommended Planting Spacing For Your Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple

Feature tree: 3 to 4 metres apart to allow the full canopy and form to develop.

Avenue planting: 3 metres apart for a uniform soft-textured avenue.

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple is expected to grow 40cm to 60cm per year (moderate).

Medium Growth Rate

Long Term Care For Your Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple

Watering: Water deeply twice weekly through the first 12 months. Once established, reduce to once weekly in dry periods. Mulch helps maintain consistent moisture.

Mulching: Apply a 5 to 7 centimetre layer of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it 5 centimetres clear of the trunk.

Pruning: Minimal pruning required. Light tip prune in late winter to maintain shape, and remove lower branches as the tree grows to develop a clean feature trunk.

Fertilising: Apply a slow-release general-purpose fertiliser in early spring and again in autumn for steady growth and consistent foliage colour.

Pest and disease: Hardy against most pests and diseases. Occasional scale or caterpillar inspection in warm humid conditions is all that's needed.

Planting Your Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple in Different Soil

Acer ‘Crimson Sentry’ Maple performs best in well-drained loam or sandy loam with a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Adaptable to a wide range of soils when drainage is improved with organic matter.

Sandy soil: Free-draining and ideal. Mulch well to maintain consistent moisture.

Clay soil: Improve drainage with gypsum and organic compost before planting.

Loam: The preferred soil for steady root development and consistent growth.

pH: Slightly acidic to neutral preferred. Mulch with composted leaf litter to maintain levels naturally.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the 'Crimson Sentry' differ from other maples? Its distinctive deep purple-red foliage and columnar form set it apart.
How can I maximize its vibrant color? Ample sunlight exposure will enhance its unique leaf hue.
Is the 'Crimson Sentry' fit for confined spaces? Its upright, narrow growth makes it ideal for tight urban areas and smaller gardens.