Top Trees and Shrubs for Fall Color
Add an explosion of fiery hues to your yard this fall with these trees and shrubs.
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A great, extra-reliable tree that makes a big statement in fall, sugar maple offers gorgeous red, orange, or yellow end-of-the-season leaves.
Name: Acer saccharum
Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 70 feet tall
Zones: 4-8
Native to North America: Yes
Dogwoods look great just about any time of year. They're most loved for their white or pink springtime flowers, but don't overlook the gorgeous purple-red tones they'll bring to your fall landscape.
Name: Cornus kousa
Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 25 feet tall
Zones: 5-8
Native to North America: No
A wonderful shrub in several seasons, chokeberry offers white flowers that look like apple blossoms in spring; rich red fruits in late summer and autumn; and brilliant orange-red fall foliage.
Name: Aronia arbutifolia
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, but well-drained soil
Size: To 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide
Zones: 4-9
Native to North America: Yes
This top-notch tree looks beautiful throughout the year. Its dark green leaves make a nice foil for the late-summer, white camellia-shape flowers. In fall, the leaves turn festive shades of orange, yellow, and red.
Name: Stewartia pseudocamellia
Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 70 feet tall
Zones: 5-8
Native to North America: No
Slow-growing ginkgo adds grace to the landscape; its fan-shaped leaves are among the most elegant of any tree. In autumn, they show breathtaking shades of luminous, golden-yellow. After the leaves drop, you'll be waiting for next fall.
Name: Ginkgo biloba
Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 100 feet tall
Zones: 4-9
Native to North America: No
Another top-notch maple for fall color, Amur maple is a small tree or large shrub (depending how you prune it) that bears bright red leaves in fall.
Name: Acer ginnala
Growing Conditions: Sun and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 25 feet tall
Zones: 3-7
Native to North America: No
An incredibly tough shrub, sumac provides some of the brightest red color you'll see in autumn. One note, though: While extra-tough and beautiful, sumac is a fast spreader and is not a great choice for small-space landscapes.
Name: Rhus typhina
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 15 feet tall
Zones: 3-8
Native to North America: Yes
This rounded shrub offers beautiful clusters of white flowers in spring, then bright foliage in warm shades of red come autumn. Those eye-catching leaves are accented by ruby-red fruits.
Name: Viburnum trilobum
Growing Conditions: Sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 15 feet tall
Zones: 2-7
Native to North America: Yes
A plant for season-long beauty, we adore serviceberry for its display of white springtime flowers, delicious summer fruits, and amazing orange and red fall foliage.
Name: Amelanchier canadensis
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 20 feet tall
Zones: 3-7
Native to North America: Yes
A "fooled-you" plant come autumn, bald cypress looks like an evergreen conifer. But in fall, the needles turn russet-red before dropping from the tree, revealing the tree's dramatic architectural shape that you can enjoy all winter.
Name: Taxodium distichum
Growing Conditions: Sun and moist or wet soil
Size: To 120 feet tall
Zones: 5-10
Native to North America: Yes
Sweet gum's star-shape leaves turn a kaleidoscope of colors -- including red, orange, and burgundy -- giving the landscape a carnival feel at season's end.
Name: Liquidambar styraciflua
Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and well-drained soil
Size: To 80 feet tall
Zones: 6-9
Native to North America: Yes
A wonderful but underused shade-loving shrub, fothergilla offers blue-green foliage in spring and summer. Its leaves reveal warm shades of gold and orange in fall. And fothergilla has honey-scented springtime flowers to boot.
Name: Fothergilla major
Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall
Zones: 5-8
Native to North America: Yes
Enjoy this great shrub for months. In summer, it offers fragrant white flowers. Then in autumn, it develops rich purple-red leaf color. Plus, it's very easy to grow.
Name: Itea virginica
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 10 feet tall
Zones: 5-9
Native to North America: Yes
One of our favorite shrubs for shade, oakleaf hydrangea offers beautiful clusters of white blooms in summer, then wonderful burgundy fall foliage.
Name: Hydrangea quericifolia
Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 6 feet tall
Zones: 5-9
Native to North America: Yes
A true plant for autumn, witch hazel leaves turn golden-yellow in fall. As they drop, they're joined by delightful spidery yellow flowers.
Name: Hamamelis virginiana
Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 12 feet tall
Zones: 3-8
Native to North America: Yes
One of the best-known plants for an autumn show, Japanese maple turns on their glowing shades of red, orange, or yellow at season's end.
Name: Acer palmatum
Growing Conditions: Shade to part shade and moist, but well-drained soil
Size: To 25 feet tall
Zones: 6-9
Native to North America: No
A beautiful tree, we love sweet birch for its cinnamon-colored peeling bark and triangular dark green leaves that turn beautiful golden-yellow in fall.
Name: Betula lenta
Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil
Size: To 50 feet tall
Zones: 3-7
Native to North America: Yes
This tough shrub earned its common name because of its autumn hues: In fall, the foliage turns glowing shades of red and pink. It's a knock-your-socks-off plant!
Name: Euonymus alatus
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: To 20 feet tall
Zones: 4-8
Native to North America: No
Note: This plant can be an invasive pest in some areas. Check local restrictions before planting it.
Loved as much for its summer purple or gold foliage and plumes of soft, shimmery flowers, smokebush also offers great fall color --- often in bold shades of orange and pink.
Name: Cotinus coggygria
Growing Conditions: Shade to part shade and moist, but well-drained soil
Size: To 15 feet tall and wide
Zones: 5-8
Native to North America: No
