10 Trees That Will Add Autumn Colour to Your Garden
Bring rich colour to your outside space by planting a tree with leaves that turn a glorious hue in autumn
The shorter daylight hours bring an exciting time in the garden, as the existing chlorophyll in leaves breaks down and the green colour fades. Yellow and orange carotenes, which you can’t normally see, become visible, while sugars become trapped and are converted into anthocyanins, giving leaves their deep red and purple shades.
If you want to add some autumn foliage to your garden, here’s a selection of trees to try.
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
If you want to add some autumn foliage to your garden, here’s a selection of trees to try.
This article is from our Most Popular stories file
Go for a natural shape: Amelanchier lamarckii
The juneberry, or snowy mespilus, offers both spring and autumn interest. It has a soft, arching habit with branching stems. The rounded fruits are initially red in the summer months, turning black in the autumn. They’re actually edible, but not that tasty.
For a stunning red autumn leaf colour, Amelanchier is best planted in an area that enjoys full sun.
Varieties to try
The juneberry, or snowy mespilus, offers both spring and autumn interest. It has a soft, arching habit with branching stems. The rounded fruits are initially red in the summer months, turning black in the autumn. They’re actually edible, but not that tasty.
For a stunning red autumn leaf colour, Amelanchier is best planted in an area that enjoys full sun.
Varieties to try
- You mostly find Amelanchiers as multi-stemmed trees, which maximises their flowering potential and gives them a more natural crown shape.
- If you’re looking for a standard shape, rather than the crown form, opt for Amelanchier × grandiflora ‘Robin Hill’.
Complement a smaller garden: Sorbus aucuparia
The mountain ash, or rowan, is a vigorous, broadly conical deciduous tree. Rowan trees are steeped in mythology and were believed to ward off evil spirits and witches, so were planted near houses and on farmland to protect farm animals from enchantment.
Varieties to try
The mountain ash, or rowan, is a vigorous, broadly conical deciduous tree. Rowan trees are steeped in mythology and were believed to ward off evil spirits and witches, so were planted near houses and on farmland to protect farm animals from enchantment.
Varieties to try
- Sorbus pseudohupehensis ‘Pink Pagoda’ has long-lasting fruitlets, initially light pink in colour and turning white as the months progress. A perfect tree for the smaller garden, the grey-green leaves of spring take on a lovely autumn hue, turning from yellow to pink/red.
- Sorbus commixta has white flowers followed by heavy clusters of orange and red berries, which festoon the branches. The divided leaves turn from yellow to red and then purple.
- Also recommended is Sorbus sargentiana, which has bright red berries and is great for attracting birds.
Bring in a range of colours: Rhus typhina
Seen here in the spring, the stag’s horn sumach is a deciduous tree, with a vigorous suckering habit and a pleasingly sculptural, compact form. The leaves turn a brilliant range of colours in the autumn, from bright orange to fiery red.
In the spring, the plant bears spikes of yellow and green flowers, which on a female plant turn into dense clusters of hairy crimson fruits.
This is a tough, quirky, multi-stemmed tree that’s ideal for an informal area. However, as it suckers freely, do not plant it near a lawn, because the suckers will need to be removed frequently to prevent the tree becoming a nuisance.
Varieties to try
Seen here in the spring, the stag’s horn sumach is a deciduous tree, with a vigorous suckering habit and a pleasingly sculptural, compact form. The leaves turn a brilliant range of colours in the autumn, from bright orange to fiery red.
In the spring, the plant bears spikes of yellow and green flowers, which on a female plant turn into dense clusters of hairy crimson fruits.
This is a tough, quirky, multi-stemmed tree that’s ideal for an informal area. However, as it suckers freely, do not plant it near a lawn, because the suckers will need to be removed frequently to prevent the tree becoming a nuisance.
Varieties to try
- The fruit of Rhus Coriaria is often dried and powdered to be used as a spice in Middle Eastern cooking.
Enjoy beautiful fruit: Malus
This isn’t the most obvious choice for autumnal leaf colour, but you can’t ignore the wonderful tiny, coloured fruits of the crab apple.
Varieties to try
This isn’t the most obvious choice for autumnal leaf colour, but you can’t ignore the wonderful tiny, coloured fruits of the crab apple.
Varieties to try
- Good options include Malus ‘Butterball’, a small, broadly rounded tree with pretty drooping branches. This variety doesn’t need a partner to produce its heavy crop of yellow crab apples that seem to glow in the dusk.
- Malus ‘Evereste’ and Malus ‘Red Sentinel’ are both ideal for smaller gardens, can tolerate clay soils and produce orange to red berries that persist well into the winter months, if not all eaten by the birds. ‘Evereste’ is a great tree for the city garden, as it can tolerate pollution and is one of the most disease-resistant varieties. It’s also a good choice for its versatility, as it’s available in many forms, such as a hedge, umbrella, multi-stem or standard.
Add some scent: Cercidiphyllum japonicum
Cercidiphyllum is a lovely, graceful tree with heart-shaped leaves in opposite pairs that turn from yellow to orange – and on acid soils will go from purple to red.
Once the leaves have dropped, the tree produces a light caramel scent.
These trees can grow big, so make sure you give yours room. They’re susceptible to frost and prefer damp soils, which will avoid early leaf drop if the ground becomes too dry.
Varieties to try
Cercidiphyllum is a lovely, graceful tree with heart-shaped leaves in opposite pairs that turn from yellow to orange – and on acid soils will go from purple to red.
Once the leaves have dropped, the tree produces a light caramel scent.
These trees can grow big, so make sure you give yours room. They’re susceptible to frost and prefer damp soils, which will avoid early leaf drop if the ground becomes too dry.
Varieties to try
- The weeping form Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum has lovely fountains of arching branches and is ideal for smaller gardens.
- For the best autumn colour, look for the grafted dwarf version, Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Heronswood Globe’.
Create a long-lasting centrepiece: Liquidambar styraciflua
Commonly called sweet gum, Liquidambar styraciflua is often mistaken for a maple. It’s a beautiful deciduous tree and is at its best in the autumn, as it’s one of the last trees in the garden to shed its leaves.
This is a big tree with a corky bark, so it needs space and is ideal as a specimen in the centre of a lawn or bed.
The colour of the leaves is second to none, ranging through yellow, orange, fiery red and deep purple, and the small woody clusters of seeds hang from the branches throughout the winter.
Varieties to try
Commonly called sweet gum, Liquidambar styraciflua is often mistaken for a maple. It’s a beautiful deciduous tree and is at its best in the autumn, as it’s one of the last trees in the garden to shed its leaves.
This is a big tree with a corky bark, so it needs space and is ideal as a specimen in the centre of a lawn or bed.
The colour of the leaves is second to none, ranging through yellow, orange, fiery red and deep purple, and the small woody clusters of seeds hang from the branches throughout the winter.
Varieties to try
- If you have the space, choose Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’, as the leaves start to turn yellow at the top in late September, deepening to a claret at the base.
Maximise an urban plot: Ginkgo biloba
The Ginkgo biloba is the national tree of China, and is also known as the living fossil tree. It’s a large species that usually has a narrow habit and can grow up to 30m.
It’s resistant to pests and diseases and copes well with pollution, which makes it well-suited to urban planting.
The distinctive bright-green, fan-shaped leaves, similar to those on a maidenhair fern, turn a luminous saffron yellow in the autumn, falling quickly over a two-week period.
Varieties to try
The Ginkgo biloba is the national tree of China, and is also known as the living fossil tree. It’s a large species that usually has a narrow habit and can grow up to 30m.
It’s resistant to pests and diseases and copes well with pollution, which makes it well-suited to urban planting.
The distinctive bright-green, fan-shaped leaves, similar to those on a maidenhair fern, turn a luminous saffron yellow in the autumn, falling quickly over a two-week period.
Varieties to try
- Ginkgo biloba ‘Autumn Gold’ is a particularly stunning variety for the autumn. The leaf is often used in Chinese medicine for improving cognitive function.
Clash colours: Euonymus europaeus
This is also commonly called the spindle tree, as the branches were used hundreds of years ago to spin raw wool.
Along with the very pretty yellow- and red-coloured foliage, the tree bears amazing four-lobed seed capsules that split open to reveal fleshy fruits.
Varieties to try
This is also commonly called the spindle tree, as the branches were used hundreds of years ago to spin raw wool.
Along with the very pretty yellow- and red-coloured foliage, the tree bears amazing four-lobed seed capsules that split open to reveal fleshy fruits.
Varieties to try
- Euonymus europaeus ‘Red Cascade’ is a cultivated variety of our native spindle. It produces an abundance of rose-pink fruits that open up and dangle in clusters to show bright tangerine-coloured fruits – a wonderful contrast to the vibrant, lustrous red leaves.
Ramp up russet hues: Fagus sylvatica
The common beech is one of our most majestic deciduous native trees. The leaves turn a lovely russet brown in the autumn, and often hang onto the branches until the new foliage emerges, providing good screening.
Due to the close spacing of its foliage, very few plants will grow underneath it.
Varieties to try
Do you have a tree in your garden that looks beautiful in the autumn? Share your photos in the Comments.
The common beech is one of our most majestic deciduous native trees. The leaves turn a lovely russet brown in the autumn, and often hang onto the branches until the new foliage emerges, providing good screening.
Due to the close spacing of its foliage, very few plants will grow underneath it.
Varieties to try
- Fagus sylvatica Atropurpurea – the copper beech – has stunning deep purple leaves that turn reddish in the autumn. It’s perfect as a specimen and for creating contrast in the landscape.
Do you have a tree in your garden that looks beautiful in the autumn? Share your photos in the Comments.
The Japanese maple is a deciduous tree that’s been in cultivation for hundreds of years. Its beautiful foliage ranges from dark burgundy to fiery orange and tangy yellow.
Acers grow best in a sheltered position with some sunshine, which helps to develop their dark autumnal hues. However, they also need some shade to prevent scorching of the leaves.
Varieties to try