Pat, Here in front of my office there are the ABM previously mentioned, and an October Glory Red Maple. I can't say with certainty that they were planted at the same time, but they look like it. From a size standpoint the ABM hands down, but about 15' and 2.5-3X the overall total volume. However the early spring bright red flowers are like having another autumn where the tree is red, followed by red (not as bright though) seeds. Fall color is nice, but much later, and one of the latest (along with the Tulip tree) tree to turn, which may or may not be an asset. Fall color is also shorter in duration than the ABM or Red Sunset maple. ABM fall color is much longer and is earlier. All this on the native acidic clay soil. As for Autumn Fantasy Maple, they can be easily had online if no where else, and some nurseries (where mine came from) carry them, but you probable won't find them as a big box store. Another Red Maple option would be Burgundy Bell. Here it grows a little faster than the other two (something like 20-24"/year), and has very early dense red fall color, and is not nearly as common as AB, OG, or RS maples. Then there is the Autumn Flame Red Maple, that is also nice (one across the street where I live) which has early color, and grows at a similar rate to OG and RS. Not trying to tell you what tree is right for you, only conveying local experience with the above. In short here locally on acidic clay soil ABM/AFM>Burgundy Bell>OG/RS fastest to slowest growth rate, with other considerations for each. Let us know what you do, Arktrees

Go ahead and post your pic! I'd love to see any variations. Last year I collected a wild flower or two to show my neighbor who didn't believe his tree would ever get any. We kept them in a bowl of water for a few days until they opened.

Hehe, gotta say, nearly freaked when I saw the words Bottlebrush in the name whaas. I had major flashbacks of those ridiculous plants out in california when I was a child...You see them all up and down the roads and highways. Huge red bottle brush shaped blooms on those miserable things. Ugh! I am sooo allergic to those! Alright then, done with the nightmare flashbacks. Now, I've just informed hubby those 3 trees in our back yard -must- go and sooner rather than later. He will contact a pal of his who used to log for a living. Not my thing so not my problem. His/their problem if something gets knocked into a building. LoL I leave that to him. ;) I on the other hand, asked him for his preference and have been given none. So it's up to me. Yay! I guess? Not really, if he complains later? Oh well! He lost that chance, when I asked and he said... "I don't care." I like the Swamp white oak, but I love the tulip tree. Now knowing that the tulip tree may cause issues later and the oak will live longer. I'll go with an oak. Yeah, I want more butterflies, but I'll plant an Aesculus parviflora or two, that will satisfy the butterfly wants too. :) So I have to say thank you to everyone and thank you Esh_ga & Whaas very much for directing me to several to help me make a more informed choice.

Thanks so much for the quick response. First off, the tree is not at risk - it has done this for years. Yes, this tree is locally called a Tulip Magnolia. Its blossoms look like magnolias; large and waxy white and purple tinges. This is not the big magnolias I grew up with, but a relatively delicate thing (about the size of a dogwood or peach, both of which we also have) with big blooms. My yard also has apple, oak, maple, cherry, tulip poplar, weeping willow and some other trees, none of which behave like this. It's definitely triggered by weather changes, and going into shock ( like forcing blooms in paperwhites). I blame human tampering for the behavior, as I know enough basic science to know plants bloom for a reason and it wouldn't half bloom or bloom and then immediately die if conditions were right for it, and it was as nature intended. It takes a lot of energy to bloom, and winter is when plants need to conserve energy. It has done this all but the first year we lived here (so for 15 years), and it does it (buds) just before every weather change that causes a temperature drop. It usually goes ahead and blooms, but the blooms are dreadful - look like used toilet paper. We only get to see its beautiful true blooms on rare occasions ( some years not at all). We do get regular freezes, though it is usually too wet for snow (so we get ice instead). We get, typically, one or two light snows a year (last year we got 6" in one day - that was very unusual). Around the base of this tree we have crocus and paperwhites, which bloom beautifully in the same conditions. Thanks, for the link. I'll check it out. Laurel