The Crimson King Norway Maple (Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’) is a medium-sized beautiful ornamental tree that’s leaves almost resemble that of a Japanese maple. Its leaves start as a maroon-yellow then mature to a maroon with a slight hint of green with their color being able to hold well throughout the summer even in hotter climates. In the spring before the leaves pop, its small purple flowers bloom, foreshadowing the stronger color the leaves have yet to show. In the fall the leaves turn brown or bronze before dropping.

The Crimson King Norway Maple cultivar was found as a seedling of ‘Schwedleri,’ another maroon-leafed Norway maple. It was selected in Belgium by Barbier & Co. in 1937, and introduced ten years later by Gulfstream Nursery in Wachapreague, Virginia. It is a compact tree with a dense, oval-rounded crown. It is quite cold hardy, does well in full or partial sun, and can withstand a variety of soil conditions.