Crescendo is a selection of the native sugar maple and makes an excellent specimen or shade tree for the residential lawn, parks, and golf courses. The thick and durable foliage is dark green all summer, and reliably turns to a brilliant orange-red every autumn. An attractive tree with a uniform oval habit. The flowers and fruit are insignificant. The gray bark becomes slightly furrowed with age. Crescendo is more drought-tolerant than many midwestern grown sugar maple selections. Like most sugar maples, do not use on sites with compacted or restricted soils, or in areas with significant salt spray or runoff.