I love fall! The thing I like most about the Fall season is the trees. It is so relaxing sitting in the cooler weather and enjoying all of the Fall colors and foliage. Autumn is true “leaf season.” I wanted to find out what are trees with the best foliage in the fall. I believe planting some of these trees would be a project that looks great! So I did some research to find out which trees look the best in fall. There are many trees that look good in the fall. When looking at trees, we should examine the tree’s color, shade, privacy, and ability to sustain wildlife. Eight trees meet all of these qualifications. The following trees are also great for their fall color.
- Black Tupelo
- Ginkgo
- Shumard Oak
- Red Rocket Crapemyrtle
- Kentucky Coffeetree
- Sugar Maple
- Red Maple
- Dogwood
- Sourwood
In this post, I will discuss these trees and why they are some of the best-looking trees for the fall. We will examine their colors and foliage. I will also talk about the characteristics which make trees look good in the fall, why we should plant trees in the fall, and additional trees which look good in the fall that you should consider planting.
The Trees That Look Best In the Fall
1. Black Tupelo (Nyssa Sylvatica)
This tree is one of the best trees that look good in the fall. Planting this type of tree will be a project that looks great. This tree is excellent for your landscaping. It has a very consistent fall color. This tree has shades of yellow, orange, bright red, and purple. These colors are mixed throughout the tree’s foliage. This tree’s bark even has visual and textural interest since it looks like the skin of an alligator.
2. Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba)
This is a very distinct-looking tree. This tree has fan-shaped leaves that are yellow in color in the fall. This type of tree is very resilient and can withstand environmental conditions such as heat, air pollution, salt, and confined spaces.
3. Red Rocket Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica ‘Whit IV’)
This tree has great flowers and bark. This allows fast growth and good soil conditions. This tree has foliage that looks like crepe paper.
4. Shumard Oak (Quercus Shumardii)
This tree has a great Fall color. It is adaptable to different environmental factors such as air pollution, poor drainage, compacted soil, and drought. This tree also produces small acorns, which deer and squirrels are attracted to.
5. White Oak (Quercus Alba)
White oak is a stately tree that is prized for its wood. The leaves of this tree turn a deep red or crimson hue.
6. Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum)
This is the tree that is a loved state tree. It is the state tree of New York, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Vermont. This tree has an amazing leaf color. The leaves turn shades of bright yellow, burnt orange, and red.
7. Red Maple (Acer Rubrum)
This tree buds in the winter, flowers in the spring, leafstalks in the summer, and creates bright red leaves in the fall. This tree grows fast and is adaptable to many different types of soils.
8. Dogwood (Cornus Florida)
One reason dogwood trees look good in the fall is that their leaves turn red-purple. As they change color to a beautiful red or burgundy hue and this makes them stand out against the green of other trees and plants. Also, the dogwoods’ red berries become more pronounced in fall and can add a splash of color to the landscape. Additionally, the bark of dogwood trees becomes more distinct in fall as the leaves drop, revealing the tree’s interesting texture and shape.
9. Sourwood (Oxydendrum Arboretum)
Sourwood is a small tree that is known for its beautiful flowers and leaves, as the leaves of this tree turn red in fall. This tree’s foliage has bright shades of crimson, purplish-red, and yellow. Also, this tree produces honey which is a bonus!
More Trees with Vibrant Colors In the Fall
One of the best and most sought-after aspects of trees that look best in the fall is their color. Here are some other trees that look good in the fall with their vibrant colors.
Vine Maple (Acer Circinatum)
- This tree is found in the Pacific Northwest (Northern California to British Columbia).
- These leaves are orange-scarlet or yellow.
Franklin Tree (Franklinia Alatamaha)
- This tree is named after Benjamin Franklin.
- It has white flowers in late summer and orange-red leaves in the fall.
Washington Hawthorn (Crataegus Phaenopyrum)
- The leaves of this tree turn scarlet, orange, and purple.
- The foliage of this tree also had thorny stems.
Apple Serviceberry (Amelanchier x Grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’)
- This tree has early white blooms and foliage that turns orange-red in the fall.
- This tree also has purple-black fruit.
Red Oak (Quercus Rubra)
- The leaves of this tree turn crimson, orange, and russet.
- It is found in the Northern forests and has acorns.
Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremuloides)
- This tree’s roundish leaves turn gold and orange.
Sassafras (Sassafras Albidum)
- This tree has mitten-shaped leaves that are yellow, orange, scarlet, and purple.
- This tree also produces blue fruit.
Bitternut Hickory (Carya Cordiformis)
- The foliage of this tree is yellow.
American Persimmon (Diospyros Virginiana)
- This tree’s leaves are yellow-green in the North and yellow-reddish-purple in the South.
What Makes a Tree Look Good In the Fall?
Many aspects make trees look good. When evaluating trees, we look at the tree’s color, ability to grow, privacy, and ability to sustain wildlife. However, people pay the most attention to the color of the leaves, especially in the fall.
Leaves change colors due to the number of pigments found within them. There is no way to predict the color of fall leaves. We have a good guess based on past tree growth seasons. Yellow and orange color leaves come from the green chlorophyll fading. The red color comes from anthocyanins.
They develop under bright sunlight conditions causing phosphate to move from the leaves to the roots. The sunlight affects the brightness of leaves this color – the more brilliant the color, the brighter the leaves. To take care of your fall trees, you will need to take care of the soil beneath the trees. Also, fertilizer is needed to assist in fall trees’ health. Other things that can help tree health include fresh mulch, proper irrigation, leaf clean-up, and tree trimming.
Why Plant Trees In the Fall?
Planting trees in the fall could be a project that looks great! Planting trees in the fall encourages good root growth. However, the best time to plant trees can vary based on the weather of the region you are in. In certain regions, the fall cooler temperature and rain assist in developing the tree’s root systems. You must also plant your tree in the right place. Make sure the tree is not planted too close to other structures. You must be aware of how much sun, shade, and moisture your tree needs. This is needed no matter when you plant your trees. Before you plant your trees, make sure that the soil is at the proper temperature.
Soil should be fifty degrees or more. These trees should be watered regularly until the winter or the ground freezes. The cooler and wetter weather of the fall lends itself to great outcomes when you plant trees. Another benefit is that you can plant your trees based on the fall color they produce. Planting broad-leafed evergreens (rhododendrons, azaleas, boxwoods, hollies) should be avoided. Recommended species of trees for fall planting include maple, buckeye, horse chestnut, alder, catalpa, hackberry, hawthorn, ash, honey locust, crabapple, amur cork tree, spruce, pine, sycamore, linden, and elm.
Related Questions
How late in the fall can I plant trees?
The answer to this question depends on the region of the country you live. The type of tree you are planting and the length of your fall-type weather also impacts when you plant trees. The ground must be pliable before you plant trees. Trees need from six to eight weeks to establish their root systems. If trees in your area still have leaves, you can typically plant new trees. This is generally from mid-August to mid-October and sometimes into November and December if you are in the warmer areas of the country. Your soil just needs to be fifty degrees Fahrenheit or higher to plant trees.
Why do leaves turn brown in the fall?
Leaves turn brown in the fall if a tree becomes dormant. Abscisic acid causes a seal to develop at the base of the leaf. This seal traps chemicals and does not allow water into the leaf. This causes the leaves to break down, changing their color and causing them to fall off. Trees get less sunlight as the season moves into the winter, which affects the leaf’s chlorophyll, causing them to break down, change color, and fall off.
Conclusion
So, these were some of our favorite trees that look good in the Fall! As you can see, there are many different types of trees that can provide a beautiful display in your yard during the autumn months. With so many choices, it may be difficult to decide which tree is right for you. However, by considering the size, shape, and color of the leaves, as well as the type of soil and climate in your area, you should be able to find the perfect tree for your fall landscape. Thanks for reading!
