Two new woody plant selections were introduced by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and the NDSU Research Foundation during 2015. They are Lavaburst Ohio Buckeye and September Flare Sugar Maple, which were developed by the NDSU Woody Plant Improvement program under the direction of Todd West, associate professor of plant science, and research specialist Greg Morgenson.

Lavaburst Ohio Buckeye is a narrow, upright, northern hardy selection. Its compact growth habit makes it ideal for limited space planting sites where a full-sized buckeye is not suitable.

At maturity, Lavaburst stands 25-28 feet tall with a spread of 14-18 feet. Its dense canopy contains good foliage and shows greater resistance to leaf scorch than non-selected buckeyes. The leaves maintain a bright green summer color, changing to a showy orange-red color in autumn.

Lavaburst is recommended as a landscape, boulevard, parks and golf course tree.

September Flare Sugar Maple is a winter hardy selection noted for its early annual display of showy, reliable fall color. Its early coloring capabilities extend the fall color season.

At maturity, September Flare stands 40-50 feet tall and has a spread of 30-40 feet. Its heavy textured, tatter resistant foliage is green to dark green during the summer months. Radiant orange-red to red fall coloration is photoperiod initiated and not frost dependent. This allows the tree to consistently begin fall coloring in mid-September before other trees.

This tree selection prefers full sun exposure, a deep well-drained, non-droughty soil and will tolerate higher pH levels. Recommended use is as a landscape, public grounds, larger boulevard, parks, schools and golf course tree. It is suitable wherever tree diversity and adaptability to northern conditions are important.

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