Curious if anyone has found three particular varieties that have proven to have good consistent fall color, particularly for the midwest that lend themselves to a good compact habit (ie not a massive sized species tree).

'Autumn Spire' is the first that I found.

Two that I found out that are busts are 'Scarlet Sentinel' and 'Armstrong'.

Looking for a dominating red fall color and Acer rubrum is probably as good as its going to get for a nice sized lawn tree in my area.

Might look into Burgundy Belle aka Magnificent Magenta.

Arktrees

My neighbor from a few years back had October Glory and it was just ok.

Red Sunset is one to look at, as you mentioned, as it seems to be the gold standard. A bit large for what I want but it does have upright branching.

I actually have Magnificent Magenta on order based on the feedback from a local grower but this plant might be a bit too big as it has a spreading branching habit.

Brandywine might be another to look at due to its leafhopper reistance.

Now if I could just find one that is frost crack resistant!

I'd like to have a plant that matures around 30' wide.

I have Acer rubrum 'Sun Valley' which is a hybrid between Autumn Flame (which colors early) and Red Sunset and exhibits resistance to leafhopper.

So far I'd rank 'Sun Valley' and 'Autumn Spire' at the top.

There has to be a couple more right?

for instance, in my experience, autumn spire is so-so for fall color. burgundy belle is the only one i'd reliably recommend without getting a full checklist completed, if fall color is of paramount impotance.

See the Spring Grove photo on the competitor website to GW.

Dax

I reviewed the patent for Burgundy Belle and the parent tree was noted to be 45' tall and the width close to 90% of the height. I couldn't determine the trees age but that is a very wide tree for a 45' tall tree.

Strobe, where did you witness the Autumn Spire fall color?

Not necessarily looking for knock your socks off fall color but a good reliable fall color. Almost tempted to use a Freeman maple but I have a garden bed about 20' way.

Acer 'John Pair' is also on my list but I don't know if it will color nicely in this area.

As for the freeman maples, got to go back to Autumn Fantasy again. Spectacular and consistant!!!

I realize these probable get bigger than you are looking for, but consider this. How long are you going to be there? The next person may just hate whatever you plant and cut much or all of it down. Even if that does not happen, your talking many many many years before they begin competing, and mostly trees grow much more closely in the native habitats that the ideal maximum size anyway. In short, IMHO don't plant trees 2-5' apart, but 15-20' will be fine as long as they are not that close to another tree on more than 2 sides.

Arktrees

Autumn Spire is the rubrum parent for Firefall. I have been impressed with the coloring so far, tends to be more orange, but vibrant. Colors up much earlier than Autumn Blaze.

Speaking of Autumn Spire, parents have one and never fails to impress. This year was especially impressive.

Firefall sounds promising since it colors early. Perhaps a bit too wide yet.

Autumn Spire was developed by the Golphers so I'd expect good fall color in your area. Do you have an inclination as to the soil type and PH at your parents?

I look at trees everywhere I go and have measured or been present for the measuring of hundreds of specimens. Red and Freeman maples are very common in the occupied landscape out here, even in this comparatively young part of the country some big examples have been produced by now. I grew two 'Franksred' in my back yard for years, until they became too dominating. Descriptions of it as narrow-growing or upright in habit do not fit my experience of this tree.

My research also involves many hours looking at wholesale nursery catalogs and web sites. Commercial depictions repeatedly feature non-threatening short heights and narrow spreads for cultivars of trees not otherwise described as differing from the normal for quite large-growing, vigorous species. Tough kinds that size up rapidly in open fields are what tends to produced. When less vigorous selections are included in the product mix these tend to be noticeable more expensive, due to the increased time needed to get a finished product.

I wanted to go with red as I have Tulip Tree, Sugar Maple and and a couple Dawn Redwood in the neighbor. I need that red to enhance the fall color palette.

Thanks for sharing your experience.