CRESCENDO™ is a sugar maple cultivar selected for its excellent drought tolerance, durable dark green foliage, and outstanding orange-red fall color. Its five-lobed leaves grow densely on an upright oval tree that can reach a height of 45 feet and a width of 35 feet when mature.

The sugar maple is an excellent shade tree for lawns and parks. Tiny yellowish-green flowers appear in spring before the leaves emerge. The tree's winged fruit, or samaras, mature in the fall. Autumn color is highly variable, ranging from yellow or orange to red, but it is always outstanding. One of the best known trees of eastern North America, sugar maple is as prized for its ornamental value as for the syrup produced from its sap. It is a favorite maple for fall color. Sugar maples should be planted in well-drained soils. They are not tolerant of salt spray.

This tree is a Chicagoland Grows® selection. Chicagoland Grows® is a plant introduction partnership of the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois formed to promote plant cultivars that perform well in northern Illinois. This variety was selected from the collection at the Morton Arboretum.