What a spectacular year for fall color! From red maples reminiscent of a sailor’s sunset and gingko as bright as the sun shining on them, it’s difficult not to become entranced by the majestic display tendered by changing autumn leaves. Offering an explosion for the senses, what we are really experiencing is chemistry happing right before our eyes! Let’s take a closer look at some of this year’s highlights.
Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
A personal favorite of co-author, Carrie Brown, sweetgum gives inspiration to an artist’s palette dedicated to bold colors. Reds, golds, purples, and deep greens can all paint a single leaf, with its neighbor a unique combination all of its own.
Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba
Favored by co-author, Curtis Young, ginkgo is often sought after for its brilliantly yellow fall display. Their elegant, fan-shaped leaves adorn each branch, fluttering in the breeze until they fall down into a dramatic sea of gold.
Red maple
Acer rubrum
This medium-sized, deciduous tree puts on a show-stopping performance of reds, scarlets, and crimsons each fall. Widely used in the home landscape, many cultivars have been developed to offer dependable, vibrant autumn color that can be spotted from a distance.
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Perfect for those who prefer to stray from uniformity, this species offers not only an array of fall colors, but also an assortment of leaf shapes! Bright yellows, oranges, and reds adorn leaves with one, two, and three lobes. Variety (not pumpkin) is the spice of life.
Sugar maple
Acer saccharum
Causing leaf peepers galore to flock to northeastern states each fall, few native species are known for their autumn display as much as sugar maple. And perhaps you've noticed, 2023 has been a particularly good year for their colors in many parts of the state!