Trying to decide the best trees to plant for autumn colour? You’re not alone; whether you call it Gilmore Girls time, or you’re more of a ‘Meg Ryan stomping through the leaves of Central Park with a pumpkin under her arm’ kind of person, the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness is well and truly upon us.
It’s an exciting time, particularly in terms of autumn garden prep, as there are vegetables to harvest, bird feeders to set up, and spring bulbs to plant en masse, ready for the new year (personally, I find there’s more to do in the garden over the autumn than all the other seasons put together).
Still, while there’s plenty to do in our backyards, there’s no denying that things can look a little… well, a little brown out there. That’s why so many of us are using container plants to add autumn colour – but trees can do the trick just as beautifully, too. Here are the ones we recommend adding to your garden…
1. Japanese maple
If you want my own personal favourite when it comes to the best trees to plant for autumn colour, I’m as basic as they come: my heart will forever belong to the Japanese maple (or acer palmatum if you prefer).
One of those trees that will thrive in pots just as well as it might in the ground, you can buy three potted acer palmatum from Amazon, which means you can get several varieties of that spectacular foliage into your garden all the sooner.
Just be sure to plant them up in moist, well-draining soil if you want to keep it looking its very best…
2. Flowering Dogwood
It might be famed for its spring blooms, but the flowering dogwood (Cornus kousa chinensis) is easily one of the best trees to plant for autumn colour, too.
‘The flowering dogwood is a beautiful large deciduous shrub or small tree with dark green foliage which turns to colourful hues of orange, red and purple in autumn,’ promises Morris Hankinson, Managing Director of Hopes Grove Nurseries.
‘In early summer, the branches are clothed in green flowers with very ornamental creamy white bracts which fade to beautiful hues of pink, later in the season, they develop into strawberry-like fruits,’ he adds.
‘With interest during all four seasons, it’s an interesting tree, but the best display has to be the vibrant red and orange leaves in autumn.’
You can buy a flowering dogwood at Crocus in either a 2 or 10-litre pot, so pick the size that suits your garden best.
3. Field maple
Long touted as one of the best hedging plants around, you’d best believe that field maple also holds its own in the autumn colour stakes.
‘This is a native hedge or tree with beautiful shades of yellow to green, followed by stunning golden leaves in autumn,’ says Morris.
‘Field maple is a beautiful addition to any garden, easy to maintain and can be grown with other hedging plants, in isolation or combined with other species to create a wildlife-friendly native hedge.’
Again, you can pick up a field maple hedging plant at Crocus (they’re currently doing a bulk buy offer on bare root plants, so you can map out the hedge of your dreams).
4. Guelder Rose
‘Known for its stunning white flowers and bright red berries in autumn, Guelder rose is suitable for every season,’ says Morris, who considers it one of his very favourite trees to plant for autumn colour.
‘This is also ideal for wildlife since the autumn berries are an essential food source for birds such as Bullfinches and Mistle Thrush. Guelder rose is a tough, sturdy shrub or small tree that works well in woodland gardens.’
If you really want to do some good with this one, try picking up your Guelder rose from The Woodland Trust itself.
5. Paper birch
You might immediately think ‘leaves’ when you hear ‘best trees to plant for autumn colour’, but don’t forget the impact of a striking trunk, too!
‘Also known as Betula papyrifera, the paper birch is a stunning tree with peeling white bark and a reddish/orange bark underneath. The bark turns more white as the trunk grows wider,’ says Morris.
‘As a deciduous tree, the bright, autumn yellow and orange leaves eventually fall, leaving a stunning structural tree and white bark throughout winter. With so much varying interest throughout the year, the paper bark always has something to enjoy, including the yellow and brown catkins in spring.’
You can buy a paper bark at Crocus, either ready to go in a pot or as a bare root specimen.
6. Katsura tree
Slightly more niche than some of the others on this list, the katsura tree is another that packs a visual (and aromatic) punch over autumn.
‘This spectacular specimen tree produces a stunning display of autumn foliage. Leaves are bronze and pink in spring before turning a rich green in summer, and as autumn progresses, the foliage changes to hues of yellow, orange, smoky pink and red,’ says Morris.
‘Not only are the colours incredible, but they also exude a sweet burnt sugar smell from which the name derives. The small heart-shaped leaves are fascinatingly set in pairs on the branches, which are themselves rough-barked.’
Again, Crocus stocks katsura trees in a variety of sizes.
FAQs
What is the most beautiful tree in autumn?
Most people will cite the Japanese maple as the most beautiful tree in autumn, thanks to its explosion of brilliant firework colours, but there are several others worth considering.
The rowan tree, for example, is filled to bursting with bright red berries, and is a favourite of Gardens Revived director Christopher O’Donoghue for that reason.
‘I love this tree because its leaves turn a beautifully deep red and yellow in autumn, and the bright red berries are very attractive to local birds, too, so you end up with a lovely wildlife garden as a result.’
What tree has the best autumn colours?
If you want a tree with the best autumn colours, look to the likes of the Japanese maple, the field maple, the sweet chestnut tree, and the silver birch for a riot of fiery reds, rich oranges, deep purples, warm golds, and bright yellows.
I’m also a fan of the (admitted vigorous) virginia creeper, a fast-growing climber that has genuinely unrivalled autumn colour.
So, there we have it; if you want your garden to blaze like a bonfire without ever striking a match, do your research on the best trees to plant for autumn colour.
While summer flowers fade, these trees erupt in molten reds, fiery oranges and glowing golds that rival any sunset. Plus, if you get one that delivers nuts or berries to local wildlife (or your own hungry belly), so much the better!
Happy planting…
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