Acer negundo 'Sensation'? Where are you located geographically? If you aren't in a harsh climate area, where the choices are seriously limited I wouldn't bother with a box elder.

Those are popular here. sensation is much, much better than a typical box elder. Doesn’t sucker, doesn’t attract box elder bugs, better structure, and good fall color. However, depending on where you are there are probably “better” trees, but sensation is a decent tree.

Acer negundo is the deciduous version of Pinus banksiana to many people. It apparently doesn’t fill some preconceived notion of what a tree should be. I’m guilty of that thinking, but I have also came across some impressive Boxelder specimens. Yes, I suppose there are “better” trees, but I find it appealing when I run across unconventional (and especially indigenous) trees used in the garden.

Lane, does ‘Sensation’ fall color stand up to the marketing hype?

I planted one years ago on a friend's property here in USDA 8. The leaves aren't red every year and one year they were peppered with tar spot. I have seen nothing about the top growth it has produced to support commercial assertions that it has a superior habit. In fact I eventually cut it down low, to be grown as a stool because the fall color was the only thing about it that was of interest.

And why would it not attract the bugs, in areas where those are present? It was not the result of a horticultural selection program, where quantities of seedlings were grown and watched to see if any produced better quality growth or failed to attract the bugs. It was a spontaneous wild seedling growing right off a roadway, that was noticed and propagated from because it had red fall color.

Macckia - yeah, they have reliably good fall color. Sometimes brilliant.

I only have anecdotal evidence sensation doesn't attract box elder bugs. I've never seen one with them, but seen plenty 'normal' box elders close by infested with them, so who knows.

Perhaps sensation only performs well in low humidity environments as the original tree was discovered in eastern ID, if I recall correctly. Anyway, I think it's a worthy tree for the right place.

Photos - notice how many of the trees shown were not red at the time.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=acer%20negundo%20sensation&qs=n&form=QBIR&sp=-1&pq=acer%20negundo%20sensation&sc=3-22&sk=&cvid=FCFEF7DCF5A6481384D16E1F4A3AD3C7

You can also see what they mean about the habit, it is tending to be denser and pyramidal in these shots. Something I didn't see on the one I planted - it grew quite like any other box elder, even coming back right away with long, broad open branching after being cut off.

Is 'Sensation' advertised as having red leaves all year? If so I didn't know that. Some are kind of greenish-reddish throughout the summer, but not necessarily. I definitely wouldn't call it a red-leafed tree.

Here are some pictures of some in my town

notice how many of the trees shown were not red at the time

With "the time" of course being fall, as otherwise they would not be colored up.

Now notice your 3 pictures are the same as at the link I posted - that is with the majority of the individuals shown not coloring solidly and decidedly red. This is what the one I planted does - sometimes it goes red, other times not. One year apricot was about the best it managed.

Male sensations do not attract box elder bugs since the bugs are attracted to theflower/ seeds. We just planted two trees in the front yard. Too soon to say what I think of them but they are supposed to be a good tree for our area.

Embo - Oh, I didn’t know that you were referring to the fall andI don’t think that all the ones in your search are pictured in the fall. Your search in the link you provided didn’t say anything about fall.

Yeah, I agree, though, fall color is hit and miss, ranging from very good to average, but it’s never a drab yellow-green like normal negundos.

Embo, is Sensation a popular tree in the Seattle area? I’m guessing no. It was developed in the Willamette Valley, but the target market was likely well outside the garden friendly confines of Seattle and the coastal region.

Here’s some historical info (with a marketing bent) on the tree.