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Fall Colors 2025

last month
last modified: last month

a plains cottonwood glowing in the morning sun



Comments (109)

  • 10 days ago

    And six more from today.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 10 days ago

    Beautiful colors in Portland. Based on what some have posted here, PNW summer rains have become less predictable. Your pictures look lush and I’m guessing moisture was adequte this summer?

  • 10 days ago

    Everyone's pics are looking so vibrant. Mine are sad from lack of rain.


    One bit of colour left in this corner. We have had several frosts.


    Climbing Hydrangea.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
  • 9 days ago

    maackia -- Our summer was very dry (Drought Monitor says "severe drought") but we've received around 4" in September & October. The very first photo in my post yesterday is Cornus florida. The neighborhood is filled with similarly impressive C. florida. I'm amazed how well they do here, and almost none of them are watered in summer.


    You might find this interesting: I just picked out three street trees to be planted in February. One of the varieties approved for my parking strip was Maackia 'Maacnificent'. I almost chose it, because I planted three Maackia amurensis in Rochester MN in my parking strip in 1999 (you can see them on Google Street View if interested) and I thought that would be an interesting bit of horticultural reprisal. But, I ultimately went with Parrotia persica, Nyssa sylvatica Afterburner, and Acer griseum.

  • 9 days ago

    Is the big golden a ginkgo?

  • 9 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    Y'all know I'm not a fan of big American maples, generally speaking. They are overplanted on small lots and often make messy, short-lived trees. Their roots can make gardening impossible. But they deliver the goods when it comes to fall color.



    Here's a camellia in front of Loropetalum 'Zhuzhou Fuchsia'



    We don't think of broadleaved evergreens (BLEs) as having fall color, but the Loropetalum's old leaves turn red before they drop, creating a contrast. This Michelia series Magnolia hybrid's retiring leaves turn a golden brown.



    The rest of my evergreen magnolias don't do this nearly so prominently.

    Edit window still open so will sneak a couple more in!

    Taxodium 'National Road' with the still green Dunkeld larch behind it.



    The thread title is fall colors, not fall leaf colors! Here's Hesperantha 'Deborah's Red', that I'm really glad I got at Cistus back in the 2010 timeframe, because I've seldom seen it for sale since then. So many of them are pink. This might photograph a bit pink, but it's a vivid red IRL.



    I lost my outside one in the polar vortexes, but fortunately I had a tiny backup copy in my garage, just a little bulbil. It took years to build it back up so I could put one outside again. (And that winter, because some insulation blew down, even in my garage it probably went down to 20F or so...cold enough to kill a bunch of super rare Amaryllid hybrids that someone in SoCal had raised and shared with me, because they were in full flush growth and un-tempered...and various other things on the more subtropical end of the spectrum. These South African Irids are definitely a solid zone 8 hardy, and get through most zone 7 winters around here, including the last one.)

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked UpperBayGardener (zone 7)
  • 9 days ago

    Maackia is a nice small-medium tree, but fall color is not one of its strengths. The three you selected should provide year-round interest. I’ve got a 20’ Nyssa seedling that has average at best fall color. Oh well, it’s still a nice tree.

  • 8 days ago

    Black gums were pretty common where I once lived in the woods in southwest VA. If they were part-shaded, the color was always a rather pale yellow.......

  • 8 days ago

    L Clark -- The first golden tree (photo #4) is Liriodendron tulipifera. Photos 9, 10, 11 are Ginkgo biloba, a rather dense, upright specimen.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 8 days ago

    The fall color in a neighborhood in Richmond VA



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked forever_a_newbie_VA8
  • 8 days ago

    Cotinus 'Grace'


    Another 'Mariesii'


    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked raymondz7a
  • 7 days ago

    Raymond you are in the suburbs of Philly right? If you remember off the top of your head, would be curious where you bought 'Grace' if it someplace local.

  • 7 days ago

    @UpperBayGardener (zone 7) Bought from Paxson Hill Farm 2015 - a nursery in Solebury that is now sadly closed.

  • 7 days ago

    A few photos from the backyard today (11/1/25).

    A sugar maple I purchased on clearance in late fall 2011. I'm guessing it's from a southern seed source because it typically colors a week or two later than other sugars around here. This is actually the earliest it's colored up (perhaps due to our dry fall):

    Brandywine Viburnum:

    Chinese Parrotia - some of the pics of this species I see online show vibrant red or red/orange fall color, but this one is consistently dark purple, and it holds its leaves very late:


    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked arbordave (SE MI)
  • 7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    arbordave my Parrotia subaequalis has varying degree of red each year, but the general trend seems to be that it's getting redder as it matures. So give yours time maybe? But of course there are differences in our climate, and soil, so keep us updated.



    That is Taxodium T502, now 'Banita', in the background.

    One of my hybrid 'Dunkeld' larches. This one is always a bit golden - it will darken soon - the other is a pure yellow and turns later.



    Thanks for the update Raymond, I have a vague memory of hearing of that place but never getting around to visiting. It's sad how SE PA has gone from an area with a lot of really special nurseries in the late 1990s, to what it is now. Maybe before you were into plants but the original Styers had a mind boggling variety of trees and shrubs crammed into a small sales lot. Now it seems to focus on hosting wedding receptions!

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked UpperBayGardener (zone 7)
  • 7 days ago
    last modified: 7 days ago

    ArborDave and UpperBay Gardener- i am so glad to see a discusison on parrotia subequalis , i first became familiar with the tree when Mike Dirr mentioned it as having reliable fall color even in shade. And i can confirm it. I have several and planted in light to deep shade- they change color for me early with a luminescent glowing purple and hold the color very long. They do brighten to the orange side before they fall. I have Parrotia Vanessa which also so far gives me good reliable fall color. the straight species colors pretty late. Its not consistent but when it does show color- its brillant ! Here is a picture of my parrotia subequalis in part shade


  • 7 days ago

    Here is the straight species persian parrotia, its not at prime color yet but you can already see what it has and promises..



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked AJ Princeton NJ z6b
  • 6 days ago

    I hope to cross them someday. Might make something interesting, and I'm sure I'm not the only one with the idea. My P. persica isn't as showy in fall color though.

    Since this is a picture thread, another of pond cypress 'National Road'.



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked UpperBayGardener (zone 7)
  • 6 days ago

    Cotinus 'Ancot' still not quite at peak color yet:

    Abelia mosanensis:


    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked sah_upstate4 (zone 5b - NY)
  • 6 days ago
    last modified: 6 days ago

    UBG, my pondcypresses usually color well, but way early and not very good this year. And their performance lately is poor -- scant foliage. But last year color was good in a reasonable rain-year.


    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked bengz6westmd
  • 6 days ago

    'Do the cut branches hold the berries and can they be successfully dried?'


    Party, I cut branches on the Ilex a week ago. I couldn't find a good method of preserving them but sprayed them with a couple coats of clear coat.


    Just an experiment. They are holding on fine, but we'll have to wait and see.

    I would like it if they could be 'Freeze Dried' and keep their bright color even if they wrinkled a little. Maybe I'll try that next season before they get frost darkened like these.


  • 5 days ago

    Pretty sure this is Acer japonicum, maybe 'Vitifolium'.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 5 days ago

    Dawn Redwood AmberGlow is glowing true to its name this fall. Pictures from today



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked AJ Princeton NJ z6b
  • 5 days ago

    Nice art!

    Was your new yard populated any with trees when you first got there?

  • 5 days ago
    last modified: 5 days ago

    Bill - here is a list of existing trees: 2 Picea sitchensis, Pinus nigra, 2 Callitropis nootkatensis (but plenty of folks are not sure about that, including me) Acer palmatum Dissectum Atropurpureum - which so far this fall has refused to turn color!, Chaenomeles speciosa - in the process of removing, 3 evergreen Rhodies, one deciduous azalea, Tsuga heterophylla, 2 Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd' - planted by the selling realtor, Abelia x grandiflora, (and a bunch of perennials).

  • 4 days ago

    Not exactly fall colors, rather fall scenery/work.


    These will become two new beds in the field sometime next year. Leave the leaves to compost over winter and top with good soil and compost. Yes we have many, many big leaf maples. :o)




    As you can see the sun is out today and I saw this and couldn't resist snapping a pic.



    Happy Fall everyone!

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked SeniorBalloon
  • 4 days ago

    This Stewartia is never spectacular, but always nice.


    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked maackia
  • 4 days ago

    Parrotia persica 'Vanessa'. I planted this one about a month ago.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 4 days ago

    So I think this ornamental grass is Molina caerulea....or is it one of the more "autumn colorful" Panicums?

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 4 days ago

    And yet another Acer palmatum with beautiful Quercus garryana behind. If I had the energy I would walk my neighborhood for three hours every day in October/November. Cool, cloudy weather and endless fall color is my happy place.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 4 days ago

    Lion Head maple.


    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked SeniorBalloon
  • 4 days ago
    last modified: 4 days ago

    Acer triflorum


    Acer Northern Spotlight



    Acer Ice Dragon




    Shot up the side yard



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked pennlake
  • 4 days ago

    I like that Ice Dragon! I’ve already lost one, but that convinces me I need to try again.

  • 4 days ago

    Beautiful pictures. ArtinNature- is that acer a waterfall or viridis ? Your Shishigashira is very good. Vanessa is great too. My vanessa interestingly is all red/orange. Great Icedragon- i dont find the icedragon in nurseries in the east coast..

  • 4 days ago

    Artinnature- you live in a magical place. love all the acers!

  • 4 days ago
    last modified: 4 days ago

    Poor color this year, but the afternoon sun here accentuated the pale yellow of the 60 ft tall, 20 yr old honeylocust with longleaf pine at left getting crowded by it. The usually reliable shellbark hickory at right just got browned by the freezes.


    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked bengz6westmd
  • 3 days ago

    AJ - It could be one of those (some people say they're the same) it was green in summer.

    Here's another Parrotia persica in my neighborhood.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 3 days ago

    Here is one of the larger A.p. Shishigashiras (Lion's Head, or Mane) in the neighborhood. We've been admiring it all spring and summer (it is my wife's favorite JM). Recently we've noticed the back part is much smaller growing than the front. It has finally started to turn color (it's one of the latest to turn) and the difference is even more pronounced. I was wondering if one of them was 'O jishi', the male form of Shishigashira, but online research doesn't seem to support that theory.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 3 days ago
    last modified: 3 days ago

    Mediocre colors here, but a couple northern red oaks that normally color late show up here across the road.


    Handsome pond pine (close relative to loblolly) shows better when surrounding trees are bare. 'Kreider' bur oak to left.


  • 2 days ago
    last modified: 2 days ago

    For the last 5 or so years we have put some netting over this pond as it has a big leaf maple right above it.

    No really, there is a pond under there.



    Oh yeah, there it is.



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked SeniorBalloon
  • 2 days ago

    Color getting scarce here so thought I'd better get out today and get the last of it.


    Ilex Verticillata berries holding up good after repeated freezes (I've already stolen a few branches).


    Physocarpa O. Monlo (today):

    Generally, more red other years and like others have stated, many leaves have fallen before peak color occurred. (Spirea on the far left).


    Cornus sericea: Fall and Winter interest up here (stole some twigs from this one already too).


    Ostrya Virginiana: Marcescent leaves are its second kind of Fall colors.


    Acer Pseudosieboldianum: Another Marcescent (only way this one was going to make the Fall color thread lol).


    Juniperus Horizontalis 'Blue Rug'.

    I added a dozen or so Tulip bulbs inside the lawn ring, so we'll get a spring color splash also. ;-)

    Even got my Christmas pots done already.

    All my trimmings (Red Dogwood, Pine, Spruce, Juniper and some winterberries) came from my own yard this year. The Birch made me go out into the country again, darn it. :-)


    Taxus canadensis is just beginning to 'Winter Bronze'.


  • 2 days ago

    Acer palmatum (Dissectum Atropurpureum, probably) that was existing in the front garden, has finally turned!

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 2 days ago

    Nice pond pine, beng!

    I caught a 'Fall Moment' a few weeks ago, with the afternoon sun shining through on the pine needle mulch bed, that's under the Ponderosa Pine that resides in the pine grove.


  • 2 days ago

    This may be the largest Laceleaf Japanese maple I've seen in my area (I believe it's 'Viridis'), in a friend's backyard, not too far from my location (all photos today 11/6/25):


    Not much color left in my own yard, and wintry weather is supposed to arrive this weekend :( One of my Fothergillas still has some red tones (you can see a portion of my Nanking Chrysanthemum to the right, a little past peak bloom):

    This is the upper half of my Heptacodium (photo this morning 11/6/25), planted in the fall of 2003, now over 25' high and wide. I originally thought I'd be OK planting it under the wires ;)



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked arbordave (SE MI)
  • 2 days ago

    That JM is Huge!

    Thanks, dave!

  • 2 days ago

    @arbordave (SE MI), huge Japanese maple and brilliant color!

    The huge maple trees in our property

    The Japanese maple start to turn brigjt red. In a couple weeks it will be all red

    Oak trees

    Loquat in bloom

    Camellias start blooming and will soon be covered with flowers

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked forever_a_newbie_VA8
  • 2 days ago

    I’m glad I got this photo last night at around sunset – it is 29 degrees here this morning and it’s a different picture altogether. Nice dogwood and hydrangea colors.



    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked raymondz7a
  • yesterday
    last modified: yesterday

    A guerilla-planted European beech from OIKOS (when it was still operating). Sulked in deep shade at first, but improved eventually. Colors very late and so far is completely marcescent in winters. Hoping the latest bad beech diseases don't find it.



  • yesterday

    Another shot of my JM from the street....with friends. And Parrotia persica Persian Spire.

    L Clark (zone 4 WY) thanked artinnaturez8b
  • 3 hours ago
    last modified: 3 hours ago



    Parrotia subaequalis is having its last hurrah. To the left, you can just make out the wispy, still green branches of my other Larix hybrid. To the right is the now enormous trunk of Taxodium T502. It was a little whip in 2012, now it's almost as wide at the base as my 'Ogon', though only about 2/3 as tall. The 'Ogon' is 2 years older...still, both are very fast.



    This is Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' with Taxodium 'LaNana' (T406), that won't start turning until December. The LaNanas haven't been as fast growing as the Banita, but this could well be because the sites are less optimal.



    Fagus 'Dawyck Gold' with Camellia 'Survivor'



    Lindera angustifolia



    Callicarpa kwangtungensis is looking good this year.



    Lastly, Erica 'Kramer's Rote' has started flowering way earlier than normal, probably because of the strange rainfall patterns this year. (wet June & July, driest August ever, almost normal September, very dry October)