Stunning Autumn Colour

Taking a walk around the nursery in all its Autumn glory is such a breath of fresh air (quite literally) and so I’d love to share this little piece of heaven with you this week and give you a bit of what I see every day and so here are my:

Top 10 trees for Autumn Colour

Acer Bloodgood is one of the most popular of the Japanese Maples and the reason is clear with its stunning red/aubergine colouring in the summer but at this time of year with its brilliant crimson make it just the most beautiful spectacle. The foliage is displayed in a rounded canopy comprising a branching pattern that is attractive in its own right. The stunning colouring creates an instant impact in any garden. On the nursery we would have this Japanese Maple in particular in some quite mature size options.

Cercis Forest Pansy is a tree/bush  with purple, heart-shaped leaves which turn golden yellow in autumn before falling. In spring it bears deep crimson, pink or sometimes white pea-like flowers. It’s ideal for growing at the back of a border or against a wall, and works well when grown with plants with lime-green foliage as a stunning contrast. Such a beautiful tree for a small garden or within a  flower bed.

 Quercus Robur Standard is a wonderfully rugged and very handsome deciduous tree providing a rich habitat for other plants and valuable source of food for wildlife. Ultimately a large tree with a broad head of  branches filled with small clusters of catkins each spring- followed by masses of acorns attractive autumn tints of bright yellow and russet brown. Ideal for larger gardens and open spaces.

Carpinus Betulus Pyramidalsis is an upright hornbeam similar to the Fastigiata but grown specifically in a pyramid shape. Carpinus betulus makes a superb specimen tree with its tidy upright head, it requires clipping once a year in mid-to late summer to keep it looking tidy.  Green catkins appear in spring and winged nuts develop in autumn.

This tree works really well as an avenue tree along a driveway with its upright habit. A really popular stately looking tree that looks well all year round but they’re probably most frequently noticed in the autumn when they go a uniform golden yellow all over. They really stand out in the autumn. Any old soil will do them but they need space to show off their shape.

Prunus Avium The Wild Cherry is one of the great glories of the woodland in spring, and makes an excellent specimen tree. Its distinctive spreading branches are laden with masses of bowl-shaped white flowers in April and May, and its autumn performance is no less spectacular when the leaves turn fiery red and orange. With shining reddish-brown bark and a broadly conical shape, this tree has a lot to offer in winter too.

Betula Jaquimontii the elegant Himalayan birch tree is popular for its year round interest due to the intense white bark it displays. It has medium sized, green foliage throughout spring and summer, which turns creamy yellow in autumn before falling; leaving a ghostly, bare, but exquisite, architecture of the Himalayan birch tree. The peeling white bark is striking and tactile.

Zelkova Serrata Also known as Japanese Zelkova, is a medium sized tree usually growing up to 20m in height. With upright stems it forms a broad spreading habit and rounded crown, it is a smart tree which can be planted as a single specimen to give architectural structure to a planting scheme. It’s oblong leaves have a serrated margin and are green through spring and summer then turning orange-red in autumn.

Quercus Palustris the most notable feature of Quercus palustris the unusual foliage, in the autumn it turns to fiery russets, reds and oranges.  Quercus palustris adapts to a wide range of soil conditions and it can cope with moderate drought, urban pollution and has a good tolerance for exposed sites.

Ficus Brown Turkey, the Fig tree is a great addition to a sunny area of the garden on three counts, it has the most beautiful foliage with very large floppy leaves in the Summer and in good hot summers it will produce an abundant crop of brown, pear-shaped fruit with red flesh. These figs are rich and sweet and available for picking from August to September. An interesting and easy plant to grow, and one of the oldest fruits in cultivation. In the Autumn it has wonderful golden yellow foliage.

Acer dissectum Garnet has feathery, heavily dissected foliage that resembles the colour of a garnet stone throughout the spring and summer. It holds its colour well compared to other red Japanese Maples, before turning shades of scarlet for a striking display in Autumn.

I have popped the links through to the trees for you and do hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Autumn is such a beautiful time of year. ⁠🍂