Coming from them it would probably be a seedling - a plant raised from seed. Maybe you got a lemon. Best bet might be to buy a replacement in fall, from a local outlet so you can see for sure that it is one capable of coloring well in your vicinity.

Fall color on maples trees is evident even in tiny seedlings. If it looks dull now, it will probably look like that forever. I would get rid of it and find a nice named cultivar with dependable color.

K4

OK Thanks for the info. I just ordered a "Green Mountain" from Forest Farm. I'll see how this looks next fall.

Did Forrest Farm ship it out this fall or they waiting until the spring? I've had EXCELLENT luck ordering from them and they have a great selection.

I think of tree buying as being kinda like dog buying. If you want a tree or dog that's going to do something exactly then buying that named cultivar or will be best. Mutts can be healthier than purebreds in many cases to, so nothing wrong with them.

Yes, Forest Farm shipped in fall (November). Trees arrived healthy and nicely packaged.
I like mutts too but I'm really after a beautiful bright orange/yellow color. It's amazing how colors differ so much between different sugar maples.