The Mexican mountain maple in Howard Garrett’s back yard has thrived in this location.
COMMON NAME: Mexican mountain maple, Mexican mountain sugar maple, Skutch maple, cloud forest maple
SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Acer skutchii, Acer saccharum sp skutchii
SIZE: 30-40′
TYPE: Deciduous
FRUIT: Samara
Mexican mountain maple comes to us compliments of Dr. David Creech at Steven F. Austin University. A few have been planted here in North Texas including in my landscape, and they are doing well. They might be a good choice when available in the trade.
This maple is the extremely rare Acer skutchii, often called the Cloud Forest Maple. David calls it Skutch Maple. This sugar maple sometimes leafs out with bright red new growth, turning to bright yellows and oranges in the fall. Although it is a relative to the sugar maple, it is extremely heat tolerant, reaching 30 – 40 feet in height. Not as good as Big tooth maple but good.
It is also known as Acer saccharum sp. skutchii, is naturally one of the southern most growing maples in the world. It occurs in Mexico Guatemala. In its native habitat in occurs in the cloud forests and along the rivers of the rainforest which are being destroyed, making the preservation of this tree extremely important.
The Skutch or Mexican mountain maple on the campus of Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas
Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas has an amazing specimen that is a real gem to see in person. If you are interested in learning more about this tree feel free to check out the thesis, Ecology Of Disjunct Cloud Forest Sugar Maple Populations In North And Central America, which is a great study by Yalma Luisa Vargas-Rodriguez.
Here’s a link to Dr. David Creech’s website entry on the rare tree, Acer skutchii—the Rare Mexico Mountain Sugar Maple.