Burnished red, orange and yellow leaves signal the start of fall. It’s a season for enjoying hot beverages, brisk walks in the park and, of course, the sight of spectacular foliage. With a bit of landscaping by planting some colourful trees and shrubs, you can bring a little bit of that beauty into your own backyard.
Here are a few of our favourite picks for trees to plant come fall:
Flowering Dogwood
An age-old favourite, flowering dogwood is known for its vibrant spring flowers, attractive shape and, of course, striking red fruit and scarlet foliage come fall. Dogwood can grow to 20-25 feet tall and enjoys moist, well-drained soil along with morning sun.
Japanese Maple
There are many varieties of Japanese maple trees, but one thing they all have in common is beautiful fall colour. These trees are moderate in size, grow slowly, seldom need to be pruned, enjoy full to part sun, and turn spectacular shades of crimson, orange, yellow and purple in the fall.
Katsura
A great summer and fall tree, katsuras put on a brilliant show of pink-tinged yellow leaves in the fall. Katsuras also produce a delicious, slightly spicy fragrance as they drop their leaves. Traditionally pyramid-shaped, some also take on weeping forms that are striking come winter.
Redbud
A small, lovely tree, most varieties of Redbud turn yellow in the fall, except for the eastern Redbud that turns reddish-purple. Come winter, long deep red seed pods rest along its bare branches extending its beauty late into the year. Redbud’s do best in full sun or light shade with moderate watering.
Witch Hazel
This fragrant shrub turns bright yellow come fall and retains its flowers long past its leaves have fallen. These flowers are also yellow and bloom in a distinctive starburst shape. A relatively low-maintenance plant, witch hazel needs only well-drained soil and full to part sun to thrive.
If you are interested in planting some trees for fall, but could use a hand, we’d be happy to help! Get in touch with a NeighborScape landscaping expert by calling 613-692-7051 or emailing info@neighborscape.ca.
