Acer truncatum ‘WF-AT1’
This tree profile is shared for educational purposes. Urban Forest Nursery does not currently grow this variety, but it remains part of ongoing discussions around urban tree selection.
UPDATE: 2026: Why this tree did not catch on and become popular, I do not know. It is tough, small and beautiful in the fall. Its bark is moderately smooth when young but interestingly rough with age. It has good structure and transplants easily. We stopped growing them simply because of low demand.
Have you heard of the Main Street® Shantung maple tree, (Acer truncatum, ‘WF-AT1’)? I hesitate to explore another maple as most cities are trying to find alternates to avoid over planting them. However, more selections and cultivars keep emerging and they certainly are a proven genus and a favorite throughout the country. The Main Street® maple is a recent selection with favorable urban characteristics introduced by Worthington Farms of Greenville, North Carolina. Given our ever-shrinking sites for urban tree planting, this smaller scale tree is one to consider.
An interesting comparison is that the Main Street® maple is very much like a smaller version of the Pacific Sunset®, (Acer truncatum x A. platanoides ‘Warrenred’) or Norwegian Sunset®, (Acer
truncatum x A. platanoides ‘Keithsform’) maples, which easily and quickly reach 35 to 40 feet tall and wide. Note: I have personally seen Pacific Sunset maples getter wider than they are tall. This assessment of the Main Street® maple would include the leaves, twigs, branching and ultimate height and width, all being less in size.
The Main Street® maple appears to be a fast grower that does not exceed 25 to 30 feet tall and a bit less in width, making it a utility friendly tree. With the familiar maple leaf shape with pointed lobes, the emerging leaves are reddish purple, turning to green with a reddish edge. The crown is dense with a finer texture than the other maple varieties mentioned. The bark is brown with attractive darker irregular furrows running lengthwise becoming more pronounced as the tree ages.
The fall color appears evenly over the entire crown, including colors of red, orange and sometimes purple. It appears to maintain a good central leader, but as for many maple cultivars, some pruning to suppress potentially competitive lateral branches, will help promote good long-term structure.
As a species, Acer truncatum is known to be tolerate of a wide range of soils and to be drought tolerant. We have found this maple to transplant easily in the nursery, but confirm that it is susceptible to verticillium wilt and anthracnose disease. Avoid planting in areas of a confirmed root disease. Although a smaller maturing tree, I still suspect it would have an aggressive root system, but time will tell. Root barriers are advised if planting within four feet of a curb of sidewalk.
If you are in need of a smaller maturing street, yard or garden tree, then the Main Street® maple could be a good selection to consider. As always, let me know your thoughts and history of this tree.
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Jim Barborinas
Owner of Urban Forest Nursery, Inc.
ISA Certified Arborist #0135
ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist #356
15119 McLean Rd.
Mount Vernon, WA 98273
jim@urbanforestnursery.com
Still wondering if Main Street® Shantung Maple is the right fit for your landscape or street planting?
Here are some common questions we hear from people considering this tree:
Although this tree has many positive qualities, we stopped growing it simply because it wasn’t widely requested. It’s tough, transplantable, and performs well in urban settings, but low demand led us to focus on more popular varieties.
It’s a smaller maple, reaching around 25–30 feet tall and slightly less wide, making it suitable for utility lines and tighter urban spaces. The emerging leaves are reddish purple, turning green with reddish edges, and the fall color can range from red to orange, sometimes with purple tones. Its crown is dense and finely textured, and the bark develops darker, attractive furrows as it matures.
Main Street® Maple generally maintains a strong central leader, though occasional pruning of lateral branches can improve long-term structure. It tolerates a wide range of soils, handles drought well once established, and transplants easily. Like other maples, it may be susceptible to verticillium wilt and anthracnose, so avoid planting in areas with confirmed root disease and consider root barriers near sidewalks or curbs.