Article VII, Section 8 Landscaping says that all homes in Ambleside Meadows shall have a minimum of one street tree in a location determined by the HOA’s Architectural Review Committee, and that the street tree shall be an Armstrong Maple. All new trees that are planted in our neighborhood must have a minimum trunk diameter of one and one-half inches at planting. The USDA’s fact sheet on Armstrong Maple trees says that ‘Armstrong’ Maples are fast-growing, upright trees that reach heights of 50 to 60 feet with a 15 to 25 foot spread. They generally have very attractive silver-grey bark. These trees are preferred over columnar Sugar Maple or columnar Norway Maple because they are much more vigorous and tolerate heat better. The newly emerging leaves and red flowers and fruits signal that spring has come. They appear in December and January in Florida, later in the northern part of its range. The seeds of Red Maple are quite popular with squirrels and birds. ‘Armstrong’ Red Maples have a nice red, orange, or yellow fall color lasting several weeks and are often one of the first trees to color up in autumn. The fact sheet also says that its uses are generally as Bonsai; wide tree lawns (>6 feet wide); medium-sized tree lawns (4-6 feet wide); recommended for buffer strips around parking lots or for median strip plantings in the highway; reclamation plants; screens; specimens; and residential street trees. In the ‘Use and Management’ section of the fact sheet, the USDA says this about Armstrong Maple trees:

Having strong wood, it is well-suited as a street tree in northern and mid-southern climates in residential and other suburban areas. Probably not suited for many downtown areas due to poor, dry soil. However, the narrow crown width makes it suitable for areas with limited horizontal space such as a planting site close to a building. The upright-oriented branches and multiple trunks can develop embedded bark, creating a weak crotch which could split causing the branch to break out from the tree. Be sure to prune the tree to prevent this problem from developing by removing or pruning aggressive upright trunks so they do not become larger than about half the diameter of the main trunk. Thin bark is easily damaged in transport to the landscape and by lawn maintenance equipment.

The tree makes the best growth in wet or moist places and has no particular soil texture preference. However, chlorosis may develop on alkaline soil. The tree grows rapidly and has a moderately dense canopy in the sun but opens up in the partial shade. Irrigation is often needed to support street tree plantings in well drained soil in the south. However, it appears to adapt to no irrigation in the south on a site where roots can explore on unlimited soil space. Roots raise sidewalks less often than silver maples do because of a slower growth rate and less aggressive root system. ‘Armstrong’ red maple is easily transplanted but can develop surface roots in soil ranging from well-drained sand to clay. ‘Armstrong’ red maple is moderately drought tolerant, benefitting from occasional irrigation, particularly in the southern part of the range.

You can read the entire fact sheet by clicking here:

USDA Fact Sheet Armstrong Maple