Colorful Autumn Trees

Orange

• Much like a ripe pumpkin, trees with pure orange fall leaves stick out from a long distance. Among the tree species that reliably display orange leaves -- most often a mottled blend of red and yellow spots on leaves -- include fullmoon maple (Acer japonicum), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava), serviceberry (Amelachier spp.), stewartia (Stewartia spp.), crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.), Amur maple (Acer ginnala), Shumard oak (Quercus shumardii), sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and mountain ash (Sorbus spp.). Often the orange color results as leaves change from golden yellow to orange-red. Orange results from the pigments called carotenoids, as well as variable inclusion of other pigments that deepen or brighten the shade of orange.

Yellow

• Trees with bright yellow or golden yellow look most vibrant juxtaposed against evergreen trees or a deep blue sky. Bright yellow leaves develop on Norway maple (Acer platanoides), striped maple (Acer pensylvancium), birches (Betula spp.), aspen and cottonwood (Populus spp.), pawpaw (Asimina triloba), ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica), maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba), larch (Larix spp.), linden or basswood (Tilia spp.) and elms (Ulmus spp.). Deeper golden hues occur on yellowwood (Cladastris kentukea), false larch (Pseudolarix spp.), katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) and willow oak (Quercus phellos). Yellow hues arise from xanthophyll pigments.

Red

• Red attracts attention and on trees in fall, that ranges from scarlet red to deep red to burgundy tones. Carotenoid pigments create more scarlet colors while anthocyanins develop the violet-red colors. Red fall foliaged trees include Oriental cherry (Prunus serrulata), Chinese pistachio (Pistacia chinensis), scarlet oak (Quercus rubra), Asian persimmon (Diospyros kaki), paperbark maple (Acer griseum), red maple (Acer rubrum), trident maple (Acer buergerianum), Amur maple (Acer ginnala), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), pin oak (Quercus palustris), scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) and cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crusgalli).

Orange-rust to Brown

• Rust orange or bronze foliage usually ages to a brown color on some trees. Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), zelkova (Zelkova serrata), dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), Georgia oak (Quercus georgiana) and chestnut oak (Quercus prinus) produce rather subdued, masculine tones of fall foliage color that is not brazen. Tannins and flavanoids in leaves make leaves look brown or muted in tone.

Multiple Colors

• Some trees' leaves turn a full gamut of colors during the shortening days of fall. A blend of numerous pigments, often changing in appearance, cause some trees to become a mottle blend of yellow, pink, purple, burgundy and red. Examples include flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica), smoketree (Cotinus coggygria) and Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum).