I'm curious about this. Standard acer saccharums usually do well here, if given "room to move", i.e., NOT as a street tree, and not in soil that is too dry (south slope) or too heavy or wet all the time. As far as summer heat, they seem to do OK, again, if not near pavement & in a good, relatively well-drained location. However, as street trees, they struggle.

I'm wondering if the more southerly Southern Sugar Maple (or Florida Maple, if you prefer), Acer floridanum (or barbatum...so many names), with it's better tolerance of long, hot summers, would survive, and be worth trying, in the Mid-Atlantic. We're basically zone 7a, right at the edge of 6b...we've hit zero degrees exactly once in the 6 years I've lived here.

My main thought is that it would have an edge in places like parking lots where soils are hotter, drier, and more alkaline than they "normally" are here.

I've seen A. floridanum rated to zone 7, but some places say 6 or 6b.