11 Trees to Plant in Your Yard for Beautiful Fall Colors Year After Year
Fall may be the precursor to snowy winter days, but it’s the perfect time to plant a few trees that will wow you with their colorful autumn displays in future years. Planting in the fall provides your new trees with cooler temperatures, more rain and a little extra time to establish their roots before they have to withstand the heat and stress of summertime. Need a little help deciding which varieties to plant? Here are a few of seasonal showstoppers to consider adding to your yard.
1. Northern Red Oak
If you want to enjoy a burst of red tones in autumn, look no further than the northern red oak. Reaching heights of 60 to 75 feet, these large-leafed trees tolerate everything from compacted soil to air pollution. Similarly to the quaking aspen, they can grow 24 inches each year, increasing their spread to upwards of 45 feet. Plant these beauties in full sun and get ready to have a brilliant autumn display.
See more: Get in the Gardening Zone With USDA Plant Hardiness Map
2. Ginkgo
For those unfamiliar with the lovely ginkgo, consider that it is known as one of “the most distinct and beautiful trees” around. Their uniquely shaped leaves become vibrant yellow in autumn, catching the eyes of many a passerby. They’re a wonderful option for anyone in a suburban or urban environment since they can handle everything from high temperatures and air pollution to salt and small spaces. Expect these to grow anywhere from 25 to 50 feet tall and spread 25 to 35 feet.
3. Sugar Maple
Sugar maples are one of the best trees for fall colors, renowned for their stunning autumn foliage. Dark green leaves slowly turn yellow, burnt orange or crimson as temperatures drop. These accommodating trees tolerate shade but prefer a well-drained and fertile soil. Gardeners in zones 3 through 8 can expect sugar maples to grow anywhere from 60 to 75 feet with a 40 to 50 foot spread.
4. Quaking Aspen
Looking for a tree to brag about? The quaking aspen is a winner. They have the widest natural range of any North American tree and are one of the oldest varieties on record. These aren’t as versatile as some other trees, but if the location and soil are right, they make for an absolute stunner when autumn rolls around. They’re also wonderful if you’re hoping for a quickly maturing variety, since they can grow up to 24 inches each year until they reach maturity at 40 to 50 feet.
See more: 8 Bulbs to Plant This Fall for Spring Blooms Next Year
5. Tuliptree
What’s so special about the tuliptree? For starters, their vibrant green leaves are shaped like tulip flowers. Once the cooler weather arrives, the green fades away and is replaced with a gorgeous golden yellow. Their color is an absolute beauty, but their stems are also fragrant and inviting. These are seriously tall trees, reaching a mature height of 70 to 90 feet, and they grow best in zones 4 through 9.
6. Bald Cypress
Hardy in zones 4 through 11, the stately bald cypress is a fan of wet and acidic soil and cheerfully tolerates everything from clay soil to the occasional flooding. You can often spot these growing around water sources, such as southern swamps or lakes. These cone-bearing trees lose their needles each winter before growing a new set in spring. But before the cold, you can expect to enjoy their vibrant, russet-red coloration.
7. Japanese Maple
As you might expect, Japanese maples grow in the hills of places like Japan and Korea. But they flourish in U.S. zones 5 through 8, too. Southern climates may struggle with purple and red varieties turning green due to the heat, but as long as the temperatures don’t skyrocket, you should be fine. There are several varieties of Japanese maple to choose from, ranging from deep purple and red to brilliant yellow and burnt orange. Choose a variety that’s appropriately sized for your space since they range from 8 to 30 feet tall.
See more: 8 Gardening Projects You Can Do This Fall
8. Red Rocket Crape Myrtle
Red rocket crape myrtles are renowned for their brilliant red blooms that linger for months on end. They also boast attractive and smooth bark, speedy growth, and an easygoing temperament when it comes to soil conditions. Expect these trees to reach 20 to 30 feet in height with a spread of 15 to 20 feet at maturity. It won’t take them long to reach maturity either, since they can gain 5 feet in height per year. Be sure to prune them each winter or early spring since they bloom on new wood.
9. Kentucky Coffeetree
In a funny turn of events, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Minnesota and Oklahoma are the native home of the the Kentucky Coffeetree. These beautiful and hardy trees are known for dropping large quantities of seed pods, which resemble coffee beans. But be warned – the seed pods are toxic and shouldn’t be treated like actual coffee beans. These make excellent ornamentals in parks and sweeping open areas, thanks to their gigantic leaves (up to 2 feet wide!). But because they are fairly drought and air pollution-resistant, they also make a wonderful choice for suburban and urban areas. Full maturity is 65 to 75 feet tall with a 40 to 50 foot spread.
See more: Fall Decor Ideas From the Garden
10. Beech
Beech trees are arguably one of the most popular trees for fall colors, and for good reason. Narrow but dense foliage makes them an excellent shade tree choice, and their wood is popular for lumber and firewood. They aren’t overly picky about their soil but do require proper drainage. When fall rolls around, you can expect to see variegated, yellow or purple leaves. If you have the right climate for it, consider the striking tri-color beech, a variety that features variegated leaves in pink, white and green. These reach 25 to 30 feet in height and thrive in zones 4 through 7.
11. American Sweetgum
Reaching heights of 60 to 75 feet and spreads of 40 to 50 feet, American sweetgum trees offer a stately and commanding presence. They are popular ornamentals in temperate climates and boast beautiful, five-pointed leaves that resemble those seen on maples. When autumn rolls around, these lovelies are hard to beat with their fiery red, orange, yellow and purple hues. Zones 5 through 9 will have great success with these.
29 Comments
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Nobody I know wants a sweet gum tree anywhere near their yard! Thise sweet gum balls are the devil!
Agree, they don’t talk about the gum balls from hell.
Agreed. Like walking on marbles. Treacherous.
My first thought, too. We have a lot of them around and I get sick of stepping on the sweet gum balls. Especially since I like walking in bare feet.
They have new varieties that don’t have spiky balls. We planted one in our yard and it’s a beautiful tree!
I have three along the street and only one has the balls. They blow easily to a corner to pick up and toss away. My three sweet gums are the prettiest on my street, especially in the Fall.
What about red sunset maples? I have a mother tree and 12 potted red sunset maples to give away.
They do best near a creek or in an irrigated yard.
Fabulous color and large shade canopy.
I sure would love a couple of them.
Where do you live? I’m in Laredo, Tx
I’ll take them!!
Anywhere near Ohio?
Nice. I just had two of these planted. They’re going to be so beautiful. I can’t wait.
Do you still have trees left? I would love one❤️😍❤️
Where are you located I would take all you got. We live right beside A creek and they would work great.
Falling fruit from ginkgo will stink up your yard like a well fed dog. We had one in front yard of veterinary office where I work. It’s was easier to clean up dog droppings than the tree’s. Would not recommend.
The male variety has no stinky fruit. 🤗
“Male” isn’t a variety. 🤣
the females do that—-the make gingko
does not—-make sure to plant only the make gingko!
I have one. It’s only the female ginko tree that drops the smelly pods. My male does not. We purposely bought a male for this reason.
Fun fun fun. Thank you
We have a special variety of liquid amber that does NOT produce those annoying spikey balls. It gives fall colors. It sometimes produces a few, tiny, soft balls.
You don’t prune Crape Myrtles. That’s just not. How you take care of them. You ruin their growth pattern by pruning them. In Texas that’s call crapeiside.
They can be pruned. Way back if you want blooms but no hedge. I’ve one I trim every year because of the dead wood. It’s always been bad about that but it’s a newer color. Anyhow beautiful but the Japanese beetle is such a pain in them I won’t plant any more,
That’s Crape Murder.
A friend of mine called their sweet gum balls “ankle twisters”.
Here in NC we call it murdering the myrtles!
They didn’t mention that tulip poplars are slow growers. They take 10 years before they first flower. It would also be helpful if this article mentioned when to plant these trees.
Tulip Poplars are Tennessee’s State Tree. They are one of the fastest growing trees in Tennessee!
A tree that turns a beautiful gold in fall is the American Elm. Unfortunately, it also gets Dutch Elm disease. I have one likely planted in the early 1950’s in the back yard and am really going to miss it when it comes to the end of it’s life span!
This article would be more helpful if it noted how quickly the trees grow.