CORVALLIS, Ore. — When trees get dressed in the colors of fall, it’s the perfect time to shop for a new addition to your garden.
“If you’re specifically interested in fall color, it will soon be the time to start looking,” said Neil Bell, horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension Service. “Trees will start to display color in the next few weeks.”
Bell recommends doing some exploring before you buy. Walk around neighborhoods, parks and public gardens to see what catches your eye. If you can’t identify a tree, take clear photos, pick up several leaves or ask the owner for a cutting. Bring your samples to a nursery or your local OSU Extension office for identification.
You can also collect pictures from magazines and garden books for inspiration.
Match the tree to the space
After narrowing your list of favorites, check the size, soil and sun requirements, Bell said. Avoid planting a 60-foot tree where only a 30-foot tree will fit.
“The biggest problem people have,” he said, “is that a tree gets too large, and then they are forced to prune just to reduce the size of the tree, which can often look horrible. I see it all the time.”
Topping — cutting off the tips of trees — is especially damaging. It can introduce disease, attract pests, encourage weak growth and alter the tree’s natural shape.
“It disfigures the tree,” Bell said. “That’s my main objection.”
Before buying, find out if the tree prefers full sun or partial shade, and whether it needs irrigation in summer. Most trees benefit from some watering, according to Bell. Many want full sun, but vine maple, katsura, paperbark maple and ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ dogwood tolerate some shade.
Why fall is the best planting season
Fall is an ideal time for planting because the soil is warmer than in spring, allowing roots to establish quickly. Cool weather reduces stress on new trees, and fall rains help limit the need for watering.
“All in all, fall is the perfect time to select and plant a tree,” Bell said. “Wait for the leaves to start changing color and go for it.”
Bell’s top trees for fall color
Red maple (Acer rubrum)
A popular tree for its vibrant scarlet fall color. Red maples grow quickly and may reach 60 feet tall and 25–35 feet wide, though smaller cultivars are available. Makes an excellent shade tree and grows well throughout Oregon. Hardy to Zone 4.
Big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)
This West Coast native has large leaves — up to 12 inches — that turn rich yellow, sometimes with orange tones. Grows up to 50 feet tall and is best for larger spaces. The ‘Seattle Sentinel’ cultivar is a smaller, narrower option at 15 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Hardy to Zone 6.
Vine maple (Acer circinatum)
A Northwest native with red and orange fall foliage. Grows up to 15 feet, often with multiple trunks. Prefers some afternoon shade. Hardy to Zone 5.
Paperbark maple (Acer griseum)
Slow-growing, with cinnamon-colored peeling bark and glowing orange-red fall leaves. Reaches about 25 feet tall and wide. Prefers partial shade. Hardy to Zone 4.
‘Raywood’ ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa ‘Raywood’)
A large tree with striking claret-colored foliage in fall and attractive lance-shaped leaves. Grows 30–40 feet tall and nearly as wide. Drought tolerant. Hardy to Zone 6.
Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
Heart-shaped leaves emerge purple in spring and turn buttery yellow in autumn, with a scent like burnt sugar. Grows up to 60 feet tall with a rounded form. Hardy to Zone 4.
Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
Produces fragrant white flowers in summer and red, orange and purple foliage in fall. Fits well in smaller gardens at 25–30 feet tall. Hardy to Zone 5.
‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ dogwood (Cornus ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’)
A hybrid of Pacific dogwood and C. florida, featuring large white spring flowers and strawberry-red fall color. Reaches about 20 feet tall. Hardy to Zone 7.
Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica)
A smaller tree (25 feet tall and 30 feet wide) with multi-colored fall foliage and exfoliating bark in shades of green, white and brown. Produces red-stamen flowers in February. Hardy to Zone 5.
‘Wildfire’ black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Glossy green leaves emerge deep red in spring, then turn orange, yellow, scarlet and purple in fall. Has a pyramidal shape and grows to about 20 feet tall. Hardy to Zone 6.
Previously titled 10 trees for fiery fall color
