Garden design solutions: 5 of the best trees for autumn colour
Autumn is a season of transition, and there is no clearer marker of this than in our gardens and parks. All around us, deciduous trees and shrubs are showing the tell-tale signs of preparing for winter dormancy. As cooler temperatures and shorter days trigger a break down in chlorophyll levels in foliage, the predominant green colours make way for yellows, oranges and reds. It is a lovely time of year to be outside, so let’s make the most of it this year by spending some time enjoying the display before the leaves begin to fall.
Here are our top 5 of our favourite trees for autumn colour:
1. Acer ‘October Glory’
One for a medium to larger garden, A. ‘October Glory’ is a member of the maple family and originates from North America. Featuring distinctive dark green 3-lobed leaves, it transforms into the most wonderful vibrant crimson in autumn. Absolutely breath-taking, this is a majestic feature tree for any medium to large garden.
2. Liquidamber styraciflua
Arguably the ‘king’ of trees for autumn colour, L. styraciflua (sweet gum) is a substantial tree with sensational shades of yellow, orange and red in the autumnal months. Also originating from North America, it has large mid-green maple-like leaves before the colourful display begins. Best suited to larger gardens, this is one of the finest statement trees for this time of year.
3. Rhus typhina (pictured)
Often grown as a large shrub, R. typhina (stag’s horn sumach) provides a magical and vibrant display in the autumn. Its long slender mid-green leaves are transformed into a blaze of fiery hues as autumn takes hold. With a tendency to produce suckers (offshoots which can become new plants), it can take a bit of managing to prevent unwanted spreading, but it is definitely worth having.
4. Ginkgo biloba
A slow growing large tree, G. bilioba (maidenhair) is conical in habit and has distinctive fan-shaped leaves. Predominantly mid to light green in colour for most of the year, the foliage fades to a beautiful bright yellow in the autumn. Thought to be one of the oldest trees on the planet (at over 270 million years old), this is a truly superb tree for a larger garden.
5. Sorbus ‘Joseph's Rock’
A member of the mountain ash family, S. ‘Joseph's Rock’ is an attractive tree with finely cut foliage and clusters of soft yellow late summer berries. Turning beautiful shades of orange and red as autumn develops, it is an upright tree which tends to grow to a maximum of 5-6m in height. A great option for a smaller garden.
There are countless other trees which also provide lovely autumn colour, so let’s all give some thought to adding a new tree or two to our gardens.
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Tythorne Garden Design provides professional fixed-fee garden design solutions for customers in Grantham, Stamford, Newark and surrounding areas. Let's see how we can help you to enjoy your garden more. Call us on 07900 224 239 or 01529 455 355.
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