Kelly Jackson
Christian County Extension Office
Backyard Fall Color
We are fortunate to live in a part of the United States where forests and woodlots are abundant. Because of the diverse flora in these natural areas, it is easy for us to see the red, yellow, and orange displays of autumn. It’s also easy to bring these natural colors to your own backyard through proper tree selection.
Fall color can be planned for the landscape just like flowering, fruiting, shape, and size characteristics. Most urban landscapes however don’t have the space needed for the brilliant colors of ginko, sugar maple, tulip poplar, or other large trees. Fortunately, there are numerous trees that provide spectacular color in smaller spaces. Surrounding these trees with low-growing shrubs will create a pleasing, natural arrangement in your landscape. The following is a list of small trees that adapt well to the diverse soil and climatic conditions in Kentucky and are noted for their fall color.
• Trident Maple (Acer buergeranum) is a drought tolerant tree that may grow to 30 feet tall and wide. It can be grown with a single or multi-stemmed trunk and has yellow, orange, or red fall color depending on individual trees.
• Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) offers more than bright red, orange or yellow fall color. This tree has cinnamon-brown exfoliating bark year-round; may grow to 30 feet tall and 20 feet wide.
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is a native plant that reaches 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It flowers in spring before leafing out and produces an edible fruit in June. Fall color is red to orange. Look for ‘Autumn Brilliance’, ‘Princess Diana’ and ‘Cole’s Select’.
• American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) is a native tree that can tolerate wet sites. Grown as a single or multi-stemmed tree, it can reach 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide. This tree has yellow, orange, or scarlet fall color.
• Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) is grown for its showy flower bracts but also has fall color from red to maroon. This tree can grow to 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide.
• Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria) is a large shrub or a multi-stemmed tree. Smoke trees bloom in late summer with hairy blooms that give a smoky appearance to the tree. ‘Royal Purple’ is a cultivar that has purplish fall color and grows to 15 feet tall and wide.
• Carolina Siverbell (Halesia carolina) turns yellow in early fall. White bell-shaped flowers are also attractive on this tree in early spring. This tree may grow to 40 feet tall and 25 feet wide.
• Witchhazel (Hamamelis x intermedia) grows rather loose and upright to 20 feet; flowers in January and February. Cultivars ‘Arnold’s Promise’, ‘Jelena’ and ‘Pallida’ provide orange-yellow and red-maroon fall color.
• Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) is commonly grown as a multi-stemmed tree for its summer flowers. Some cultivars have yellow, orange, or red fall color.
• Ironwood or Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) is a native tree that is tolerant of drought conditions. This tree can grow to 30 feet tall and has yellow fall color.
• Sourwood (Oxydendron arboreum) is an excellent small tree that flowers in summer with long, white, showy tassels. Commonly grown as a multi-stemmed tree, the native sourwood can reach 40 feet tall and has red fall color.
• Mountain Stewartia (Stewartia ovata) is a small bushy tree only growing to 15 feet tall. This tree blooms in June and July with large, white flowers. Exfoliating bark and orange-red fall color give this tree plenty of showy characteristics.
• American Snowbell (Styrax americanus) is a small tree that grows to 15 feet. It needs moist soils and is intolerant of drought. Fall color is red-orange.
