8. Freeman Maple

Appearing at the junction of asphalt paths near the Coach Barn, Freeman maple is a naturally occurring hybrid of two tree species, red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). The Freeman maple is named after Oliver Freeman, who grew it at the United States National Arboretum in 1933. The ‘Jeffersred’ variety seen at the Los Angeles Arboretum is an anthropogenically created cultivar from the 1960s (Autumn Blaze ©). The extensive planting of the Freeman maple is a testament to the species’ distinct beauty.