So far in my yard, nothing yet.

Maackia, I am not sure what you are asking. Do you mean early autumn color or just ones that don't look ratty in late summer?

Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear. I'm curious what trees & shrubs have foliage that holds up well throughout the season. I was looking at Forsythia yesterday and found the leaves to be in pristine condition for this time of year. I always considered this shrub to be a one trick pony, but I suppose this could be considered another trick.

Cornus stolonifera in eastern Wisconsin typically comes through the summer nearly blemish-free.

In my yard Metasequoia Ogon or Crepe myrtle. Most others show some insect damage or spots....well my generic Acer rubrum isn't too bad at all.

Japanese beetles love my regular metasequoia and ifbnot for them I'd nominate it. They have left my yellow one alone though for some reason.

Viburnums prunifolium and rufidulum are reliable for me with deep green glossy foliage at summer's end. This year the red oaks have come through the hot season well, their leaves are dark green and shiny, the lowering angle of the sun makes them sparkle.

The biggest disappointment for me this year is Maackia amurensis, which the Asian lady beetles did a number on. Anyone else experience this? I've never experienced it before with this tree and I'm hoping this doesn't become a reoccurring problem.

The other tree with foliar issues is Bur Oak. I've got a small natural grove of them that are 30'-40' tall. They've been dropping leaves for the past few weeks and I'm guessing it is anthracnose, but I'm bad at identifying plant diseases and even worse in dealing with them. If I ignore it, it will go away right? ;)

Castanea and alnus species, their leaves still looks like new. While other trees start to get a slight yellow tone, these trees are still perfectly dark green and no sign of insect damage, milldew or anything else. My red oaks aren't to bad either.

Forsythia has good autumn color around here.

-for those that don't know the lingo, the characteristic being referred to resistance to tatter.

Acer truncatum x platanoides hybrids are perhaps the best examples I know of off the top of my head of trees that exhibit superior resistance to tatter, although by no means the only ones.

Eucommia ulmoides has been a plant that for me, has generally had clean foliage throughout the seasons. Corylus cornuta is another one.

In the frigid lands where people wear cheese on their heads or think summer starts at 0 degrees (F or C, take your pick), I've had certain forsythia cultivars be able to develop a purple fall color...IF the mild fall weather lasts long enough before turning cold...something that is by no means reliable or predictable. Meadowlark is the variety that I am most familiar with being able to turn...first, yellow, then purple, if the season lingers. Miss Kim lilac is another that will do this.

Pretty much everything round here looks much as it does all summer. But the horse chestnuts are very scruffy. Nothing is turning colour-wise yet and not much is tattered.

In SE Wyoming, a different world from most -

Good:

Oaks, Ohio buckeye, ashes, choke cherry

Bad:

Aspen, cottonwood, crab apple, willow

Certain Aesculus are prone to leaf scorch. As with roses which particular variety of crab apple is being grown is critical to the outcome. Some remain clean, some have terrible disease problems and others fall between.

forsythia has appealing foliage. In your climate (z4) I cannot make many suggestions. Freeman maple?

Resistance to tatter. Love this (new to me) term. Am wondering how well I myself am doing...

Ed, yes, my honeylocust (maackia -- coffee tree too) at least has very clean foliage right now.

Noticed a deciduous magnolia, prb'ly Frazer or similar, w/immaculate foliage the other day in the Bedford, PA cemetery.

Also found a Norway spruce in the cemetery w/an astonishingly large side branch down low -- thicker than the other, main leader! Didn't have my camera, but my brother promised to take some pics & email to me.

Ed, I hope you soon find relief from the drought. I've never been through a flood, which must be god awful, but I've been through a few nasty droughts. It's a slow motion calamity that takes a toll not only on plants but the gardener's psyche. Day after day you hope for rain that never seems to come. It is farmers who I really feel for.

Kentucky Coffee Tree is another one that looks about as good in mid September as it did in early June. Mine is still a young tree, but boy oh boy is it taking on a nice form. It will be interesting to watch it develop. My two Fringe Trees also look very good, with no evidence of tatter. Thanks Wayne. :)

Most of the trees around here look pretty good, which isn't surprising since we've had ample moisture, little wind, and no hail.

We had some decent rain around here're street...not enough to end the drought, but it's a start. We've also had gypsy moth in places, winter moth, and some opportunisticdisease that afflicts the previously bulletproof white pine. Trees that are normally fine look a wreck. I hop they are just "going to bed early" but the real test will be next Spring. And I planted a bunch of white oak and pitch pine at my parent's place...I'm afraid to go down and see what they look like.

Good:

Aesculus flava

magnolias in general

Metasequoia

Cornus kousa

Taxodium

Ilex

cercis

Fair to Bad:

most Acer have some degree of leaf tatter or scorch

same for most oaks

Nyssa (leaf spot)

Ugly:

Aesculus glabra

Aesculus hippocastanum

some red oaks