Trees With Autumn Color
Trees with colorful autumn foliage are at their best from mid-to-late autumn. Make the most of trees with colorful autumn foliage by planting them where they can be seen from windows in your house or along well-traveled paths or drives.
Autumn leaves will be especially brilliant after a hot summer, but after a mild summer, they may not last as long. To ensure the brightest and longest autumn color, begin restricting water to any plant that starts to develop color after the end of summer, but do not let plants dry out completely. Trees that color in late autumn still need some water in early autumn.
Here’s a list of trees that provide plenty of autumn color (click on red to learn more about the genus of the tree you are interested in):
Trees with Autumn color
| A-C Common Name | Botanical Name | Zone |
| Ash, Green | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | 3-9 |
| Beech, American | Fagus grandifolia | 3-9 |
| Birch, European white | Betula pendula | 2-7 |
| Birch, Paper | Betula, papyifera | 2-5 |
| Birch, Whitespire | Betula platphylla ‘Whitespire’ | 4-7 |
| Cherry, Kwanzan | Prunus serrulate ‘Kwanzan’ | 5-8 |
| Cherry, Sargent | Prunus sargentii | 4-7 |
| Cherry, Weeping Higan | Prunus subhirtella ‘Pendula’ | 4-8 |
| Chokeberry, Amur | Prunus maackii | 2-6 |
| Crabapple | Malus spp. | 4-8 |
| Crape Myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica | 7-9 |
| D-L Common Name | Botanical Name | Zone |
| Dogwood, Flowering | Cornus florida | 5-9 |
| Dogwood, Kousa | Cornus kousa | 5-8 |
| Elm, Chinese | Ulmus parvifolia | 5-9 |
| Ginkgo | Ginko biloba | 3-9 |
| Hawthorn, Cockspur | Crataegus crus-galli ‘Inemis’ | 4-7 |
| Hawthorn, Washington | Crataegus phaenopyrum | 3-9 |
| Honeylocust, Thornless | Gleditsia triacanthos inermis | 3-8 |
| Hornbeam, American | Carpinus caroliniana | 3-9 |
| Katsura Tree | Cercidiphyllum japonicum | 4-8 |
| Linden, Littleleaf | Tilia cordata | 3-7 |
| M Common Name | Botanical Name | Zone |
| Maple, Amur | Acer tataricum ginnala | 2-6 |
| Maple, Japanese | Acer palmatum | 5-8 |
| Maple, Paperback | Acer griseum | 4-8 |
| Maple, Red | Acer, rubrum | 3-9 |
| Maple, Sugar | Acer, saccharum | 4-8 |
| Maple, Trident | Acer, buergerianum | 4-8 |
| Mayday Tree | Prunus padus commutata | 3-6 |
| Mountain Ash, European | Sorbus aucupario | 4-7 |
| 0-R Common Name | Botanical Name | Zone |
| Oak, Northern Red | Quercus rubra | 4-7 |
| Oak, Pin | Quercus palustris | 4-8 |
| Oak, Scarlet | Quercus coccinea | 4-9 |
| Oak, Shumard | Quercus shumardii | 5-9 |
| Oak, White | Quercus, alba | 4-9 |
| Pear, Callery | Pyrus calleryana | 4-8 |
| Pistachio, Chinese | Pistacia chinensis | 6-9 |
| Possumhaw | Ilex decidua | 3-9 |
| Quaking Aspen | Populus termuloides | 2-6 |
| Redbud | Cercis canadensis | 3-9 |
| S-Z Common Name | Botanical Name | Zone |
| Serviceberry, Downy | Amelanchier arobrea | 4-9 |
| Serviceberry, Shadblow | Amelanchier canadensis | 3-8 |
| Smoke Tree | Cotinus coggyria | 4-8 |
| Snowbell, Japanese | Styrax japonicum | 5-8 |
| Stewartia, Japanese | Stewartia pseudocamellia | 5-7 |
| Sweet Gum | Liquidamber styraciflua ‘Rotundiloba’ | 5-9 |
| Yellowwood | Cladrastis lutea | 6-8 |
Also of interest:
