New Mexico is a fascinating and ecologically diverse state with so much more than just the deserts people imagine when they think of it.
NM also has several mountainous regions with two lovely maple species that are native and thrive there, already handling lower humidity than most maples.
Growing maples in the southern lowlands is much more challenging because of the even lower humidity, high heat, and alkaline soils.
So, if you live in NM and want to grow a maple, do not despair. There are a handful of maples that will handle any New Mexico hardiness zones.
Can Maple Trees Grow in New Mexico?
Growing most maples would be impossible in much of New Mexico, even with irrigation, because of leaf scorch and chlorosis caused by high heat, low humidity, and alkaline soils. However, new cultivars are becoming available that can handle heat, drought, and alkaline soils without scorching.
5 Maple Trees That Will Actually Grow in New Mexico
1. Mesa Glow® Maple – Acer saccharum ssp grandidentatum ‘JFS-NuMex 3’
The Mesa Glow Maple is a new cultivar developed by Rolston St. Hilaire of New Mexico State University.
It was selected for its exceptionally high tolerance to drought, heat, scorching sun, and salty and alkaline soils. Most maples, even the native Bigtooth Maple it was developed from, simply cannot handle those conditions.
Mesa Glow Maple trees have been commercially available only since 2018 and is quickly gaining popularity in NM for its ability to grow in the semi-arid and arid climates of the southern NM lowlands.
It is a small tree with an upright form that grows to about 30 ft tall with glossy green scorch-resistant leaves that make a lovely shade tree and turn brilliant shades of red in the fall.
Mesa Glow Maple is best grown in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil. In more arid climates, irrigation should be provided in the dry season.
Other Common Names: N/A
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 8
Average Size at Maturity: 20 – 30 ft tall, 15 – 20 ft spread
Flowering Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge with leaves in mid-spring
2. Flashfire Sugar Maple – Acer saccharum ‘JFS-Caddo2’
Flashfire Sugar Maple is one of several cultivars derived from an isolated population of Sugar Maples from Caddo County in Oklahoma, which tolerates drought and alkaline soils better than any other Sugar Maple.
Its leaves are more leathery than other maples, which helps them withstand leaf scorch better than most.
The Flashfire Sugar Maple can also survive during the hot, dry season for over a month without water and show no signs of stress or leaf scorch. In fact, they do very poorly when the soil remains moist for too long.
Despite this, if planting the Flashfire Sugar Maple above USDA Zone 7 in NM, they will require some summer irrigation because the droughts and high heat can last for several months there.
In the mountainous areas of NM, they would perform well without irrigation once established (water for the first two years to ensure successful establishment).
Other Common Names: Caddo Maple
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 9
Average Size at Maturity: 30 – 45 ft tall, 25 – 40 ft spread
Flowering Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge in the spring with the leaves
Available at: Fast-Growing-Trees & Nature Hills
3. Bigtooth Maple – Acer saccharum ssp grandidentatum
Bigtooth Maple is a subspecies of the Sugar Maple native to the mountainous regions throughout northern New Mexico and the southern mountains, where it thrives without any irrigation or maintenance.
It could also be grown in the drier foothills if given some irrigation in the dry season. However, I would not recommend it for the southern lowlands of NM, where it would likely suffer leaf scorch from the high heat and strongly alkaline soils.
Bigtooth Maple is best grown in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soils of most types, including slightly alkaline, although it will not tolerate wet or saline soils.
It is a small to medium-sized tree with beautiful lobed leaves that turn vibrant shades of red and gold each fall.
If you want to hike in the mountains and see it in its natural habitat, you can learn how to identify the Bigtooth Maple.
Other Common Names: Canyon Maple, Rocky Mountain Sugar Maple
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 8
Average Size at Maturity: 20 – 35 ft (to 50 ft) tall, 10 – 20 ft spread
Flowering Season: Inconspicuous flowers appear with the leaves in April or May
4. Rocky Mountain Maple – Acer glabrum
The Rocky Mountain Maple will also easily grow in the northern part of New Mexico as well as in the southern mountains. There is even a botanical variant called the New Mexico Maple (Acer glabrum var neomexicanum) native to the mountains of NM.
However, Rocky Mountain Maple is not recommended for the southern lowlands, where it will likely suffer leaf scorch from the high heat, low humidity, and strongly alkaline soils.
This type of maple tree is best grown in full sun or partial shade in most soil types, including rocky, dry, and slightly alkaline, provided that they are well-drained.
Rocky Mountain Maple is a small tree or large multi-stemmed shrub with smaller leaves that are usually 3-lobed and turn yellow to reddish-orange each fall.
If you learn to identify the Rocky Mountain Maple, you can also go out and admire it in its native mountain habitat.
Other Common Names: Douglas Maple, Torrey Maple, Greene’s Maple, and New Mexico Maple
USDA Growing Zones: 3 – 8
Average Size at Maturity: 10 – 30 ft (to 40 ft) tall, 10 – 15 ft spread
Flowering Season: Inconspicuous but fragrant flowers appear with the leaves in April – May
5. Red Sunset Maple – Acer rubrum ‘FranksRed’
Red Sunset Maples are sometimes recommended for growing in New Mexico, but I would do so cautiously.
They are renowned for their adaptability to a wide range of soil types and their higher drought tolerance than most maples. However, Red Sunset Maples still prefer moist and acidic soils, making them challenging for the arid lowlands with their highly alkaline soils.
Red Sunset Maple would grow very well in the mountainous areas and also the foothills if provided some irrigation during the dry season.
They are best grown in full sun to partial shade in any soil type, though it prefers somewhat moist soil. Above USDA Zone 7 in NM, some afternoon shade and summer irrigation may prevent leaf scorch.
Red Sunset Maples are medium-sized upright trees with rich and vivid red fall colors that appear up to a month before other maples, providing a lovely fall color display.
Other Common Names: N/A
USDA Growing Zones: 4 – 8
Average Size at Maturity: 30 – 50* ft tall, 20 – 40 ft spread *In hot climates, it will be shorter.
Flowering Season: Inconspicuous flowers emerge in April or May with leaves.
Available at: Fast-Growing-Trees & Nature Hills
Table Comparing Maple Trees in New Mexico
Here is a detailed table comparing the Maple trees above that grow in New Mexico and outlining their key features, USDA growing zones, average sizes at maturity, and flowering details.
| Maple Tree Variety | Key Features | USDA Growing Zones | Average Size at Maturity | Flowering Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Glow® Maple | Exceptional drought, heat, scorch, salty, and alkaline soil tolerance | 4 – 8 | 20 – 30 ft tall, 15 – 20 ft spread | Mid-spring |
| Flashfire Sugar Maple | Derived from Caddo County population; high drought and alkaline soil tolerance | 4 – 9 | 30 – 45 ft tall, 25 – 40 ft spread | Spring |
| Bigtooth Maple | Native to NM mountainous regions; tolerates slightly alkaline soils | 4 – 8 | 20 – 35 ft (up to 50 ft) tall, 10 – 20 ft spread | April or May |
| Rocky Mountain Maple | Grows in northern NM and southern mountains; adaptable to rocky, dry soils | 3 – 8 | 10 – 30 ft (up to 40 ft) tall, 10 – 15 ft spread | April – May |
| Red Sunset Maple | Adaptable to a range of soils; vivid red fall color | 4 – 8 | 30 – 50 ft (shorter in hot climates) tall, 20 – 40 ft spread | April or May |
Majestic Maple Trees that Can Grow in New Mexico
Now you know that, yes, you can actually grow maple trees throughout most of New Mexico.
If you carefully choose the right cultivar or species for your location, you will be rewarded for years and years with their majestic form, abundant shade, and the beautiful fall color they provide for your yard. And you can save the leaves each fall to make mulch for your garden!
Interestingly, Maple trees are also one of the highest output oxygen producing trees in the world.
I hope this has inspired you to find a maple you can grow, no matter where you are in New Mexico!
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