It combines the autumn foliar color of red maple with the lacier foliar form of silver maple. Freeman maple, Acer X freemanii, is a hybrid of the two. It occurs naturally where ranges of its parents overlap. However, most modern garden cultivars are products of intentional hybridization. Like silver maple, it does not need much chill to exhibit autumn foliar color.

Freeman maple inherits other attributes from both its parents. It combines rapid growth of silver maple with structural integrity of red maple. Although it gets bigger than red maple, it is not as imposing as silver maple. It develops high branches like silver maple, but also is symmetrical like red maple. Big roots are about as complaisant as those of red maple.

Mature Freeman maple trees can grow about forty feet tall and broad. Autumn foliar color is vivid orange and red, and lasts longer than that of red maple. Since Freeman maple is a hybrid, it is mostly sterile. It can not generate an annoying abundance of seed. Nor can it naturalize in favorable climates. It is an exemplary maple for mild climates such as this.