100% noob that is.

Look at 'Crimson King' Norway maple. True, we all tend to be down on Norway maples these days as they've proven to be invasive in our woodlands, but this old cultivar is still one of the best-IMO-for nice crisp crimson foliage throughout the growing season.

Red maple-a native tree-has green leaves all summer and red fall color. Sugar maples-so far as I'm aware-never have red foliage in summer.

Another possibility is the so-called Canada red cherry. Actually a cultivar of choke cherry, this one starts out in spring with green foliage but right about now, it starts turning purplish/red. Quite nice, but like all cherries, somewhat short-lived...maybe thirty years or so...and quite prone to basal suckering. I've got two that bookend an ornamental fence in my back yard and they've been nice plants to have, excepting removing those suckers, but both are now nearing the ends of their useful lives in the landscape, having come down with black knot, a disease of all cherries which is essentially incurable. But again, they've been there for something like thirty years now.

If you have room for the Crimson King Norway Maple, you have room for a Copper Beech which IMHO is a much better tree. Smaller trees with great purple foliage include crabapple, smoketree, and japanese maple.

Crabapple? Are Japanese maples hardy up there?

Could you post a photo of the ones in your neighborhood? That would get you an ID.

Does the OP want a tree with burgundy foliage in the summer or leaves that turn from green to red in the fall?

Thanks everyone for all of the input, it is greatly appreciated! Ideally I would like a tree that has scarlet red leaves throughout the year if such a tree exists.

What zone does southern WI make? 4a or 5b? Is Nyssa Sylvatic Wildfire that hardy? I like the beech idea and there are 1010102 cultivars of crab apple to consider.

Yes, there are trees that have dark red leaves all year. Even a few that survive in Wisconsin. Not aware of any that have fiery red leaves all year. Alas, sugar maple and red maple (despite the name) do not. Sugar maple is fiery red in the fall but green the rest of the year. Red maple is bright red in the Spring and (if you are lucky) in the Fall. Green in between. Ditto for Nyssa sylvatica 'Wildfire'.

As far as trees that have dark red leaves all summer...

If you have the space and patience, copper beech is...the best. It just kind of is. Totally breathtaking long lived tree with deep red leaves and perfect form. Should survive your cold winters. Unfortunately they are somewhat slow growing and difficult to transplant.

Japanese Maples are kind of the standard for this use.

If you want something smaller, some kinds of crabapple, like Prairifire give you flowers and red/burgandy leaves. Leaves may turn green in the summer.

Purple Leaf Plum would also give you flowers and red leaves.

Could you look up your USDA zone?

What is your soil like? Sandy, salty, compacted, muddy, clay, alkaline? How far would this be from the nearest road house or power line? What threats will this tree face? Road salt, wind, gypsy moths?

not aware of any tree with SCARLET red leaves ...

i second the copper beech ... and of course.. there is the tri color beech ...

red crabs are not all that red ...

norway maples.. in a decade or two.. will start killing the lawn under them.. and you will not be gardening under them ... if thats important ...

ken

copper beech

https://www.google.com/search?q=copper+beech&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjau7ORh5fNAhVLTSYKHYeaA8gQ_AUICigD&biw=945&bih=745&dpr=0.9

hey that 8th pic is mine.. go figure

https://www.google.com/search?q=tri+color+beech&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj89vakh5fNAhUDKCYKHfajBBAQ_AUICSgC&biw=945&bih=745&dpr=0.9

Ok, I just looked up the zone and it is 5a.

My house growing up had an ancient Norway maple cultivar called, IIRC, Sweidler Norway maple. Not nearly as dark red as Crimson, just a pleasant bronze-green and much better appearing IMO than Crimson. Thing is, it's as healthy as can be many decades after I left while other Norways have come and gone. May be that it's much slower growing or something as the standard & doesn't age as quickly.

"Yes, there are trees that have dark red leaves all year. Even a few that survive in Wisconsin."

Really?? I would love to know what they are as even in my neck of the woods where pretty much anything can be grown, I am not aware of any that have red foliage that is retained all year. Lots - most of which have already been mentioned - that have red foliage throughout the growing season (spring through fall) but not all year. I'm pretty sure that's what you meant, isn't it?? :-)

Copper beech is a gorgeous tree if you have the space but I would hesitate to call it "dark red" - the ones in my area really are copper colored. And if you do decide on a Japanese maple (smaller tree than a Norway by a wide margin!), maybe think about Emperor I rather than the more common Bloodgood. It is considered a tad hardier - you are sitting on the JM hardiness cusp at a zone5 - as it leafs out several weeks later, so less damaged by late freezes.

Now now, let's not be pedantic. And this may be a case where the quality of people's color vision varies, but to me Copper Beech look dark red/burgandy more then copper colored.

My original suggestion-'Crimson King' Norway maple has as close to brilliant reddish-purple foliage all summer as any tree I've seen. It really is quite brilliant. Since this was the OP's original query, that's the one I addressed. As far as 'schweidleri', 'Deborah' maple, etc.....they can be decent trees too but do not have the foliage characteristic inquired about in this thread. Nor does copper beech for that matter. I'm about as far from a Norway maple proponent as it gets, yet to be completely honest, I have a guilty enjoyment of a lot of 'Crimson King' I see around.....actually pretty good-looking trees. They do very well in places like Wisconsin. Their offspring will of course be every bit as invasive as a green-leaved cultivar of Norway maple.

edited to add: Nate says he's complete newb. It is for that reason that I did not recommend tricolor beech. Very cool tree, but no beech is beginner material.

Also, there is a smaller-growing variant of 'Crimson King', the name of which escapes me at the moment. We've used a few of these in industrial parks under wires. Pretty decent little trees-perhaps not quite the brilliance of 'Crimson King', but could offer another option.

''New Madrid' Quercus nuttalli

I HOPE that our OP understands that these pretty red-leafed trees lose their foliage in the fall!