Not every tree wears a colorful foliage dress in autumn. If you want to experience the Indian Summer in your own garden, you have to plant the right trees. The following species prefer the color red.
Table of Contents
5 trees with yellow-red leaves
Eberesche – Sorbus aucuparia
- also called rowan berries
- a medium-sized tree up to 15 m tall
- pinnate leaf, about 15 cm long
- also adorns itself with red berries in autumn and winter
Essigbaum – Rhus typhina
- 4-8 m tall tree/shrub
- is often planted as an ornamental tree
- the leaf is composed of 9 to 31 leaflets
- and reaches a total length of up to 50 cm
Lotuspflaume – Diospyros lotus
- low-growing tree with a rounded crown
- is considered the little sister of the khaki tree
- also suitable for bucket keeping
- Leaf is oblong and up to 15 cm long, has shiny upper surface
Persisches Eisenholz – Parrotia persica
- also known as parrotia
- in this country a small tree with a height of up to 10 m
- its play of colors begins as early as August
- with the colors yellow, orange and red
- the colorful foliage lasts until the first frost
Witch Hazel – Witch Hazel
- Tree/shrub up to 4 m tall, grows very slowly
- is considered a noble ornamental tree
- broad oval leaf (reminiscent of hazelnut)
- attractive, colorful flowers, usually early in the year
9 trees with red-orange leaves
American sweetgum – Liquidambar styraciflua
- reaches final height between 20 and 40 m
- Leaf is 10 to 20 cm long, reminiscent of maple
- from mid-September the foliage changes color visibly
- the autumn colors can be admired for up to 8 weeks
- the sunnier the location, the more dominant red tones appear
- in some locations the leaves are even black-violet
American Hainbuche – Carpinus caroliniana
- not a beech, but a birch tree.
- The tree grows to an average height of 12 m in the garden
- its leaf is 5-10 cm long, ovate and serrated
Blutbuche – Fagus sylvatica purpurea
- large tree more likely to be found in forests and parks
- also known as purple beech
- becomes up to 300 years old and 30-40 m high
- also suitable as a hedge plant (with a lot of cutting!)
- from the beginning of November the foliage becomes paler (red-orange) for about two weeks
- this is followed by a change in color to green and finally loss of leaves
- the leaf is ovate and slightly toothed
Pig Nut – Carya glabra
- straight trunk, slender growth
- each leaf consists of 7 to 9 ovate, serrated individual leaflets
- Total length of one leaf reaches 60 cm
- carries edible nuts
Hahnensporn-Weißdorn – Crataegus crus-galli
- grows 6 to 9 m tall, broad crown
- obovate and serrate leaf
- in autumn there are also red pods on the tree
- they are edible and have ornamental value
Japanese Cake Tree – Cercidiphyllum japonicum
- 10 to 20 m tall ornamental tree with slow growth
- also known as Judas Leaf Tree or Japanese Gingerbread Tree
- Ornamental tree is medium-sized (10 to 20 meters high).
- Autumn leaves give off the scent of gingerbread
Copper Pear – Amelanchier lamarckii
- a 4-6 m high tree
- picturesque overhanging branches, umbrella-shaped crown
- initially slender in youth
- fits perfectly in every garden
- copper-red new shoots
- elliptical leaf shape, hairy underneath
Tupelobaum – Nyssa sylvatica
- hardy tree originating in North America
- 15 to 20 m tall, picturesque growth habit
- obverse uniform leaves with smooth margins
- the autumn color can also go violet
Zimtahorn – Acer griseum
- grows slowly, only 6-10 m high in this country
- usually multi-stemmed with a rounded crown
- peeling, cinnamon-colored bark is an eye-catcher
- each leaf consists of three leaflets about 5 cm long
6 trees with bright red leaves
Chokeberry – Aronia
- dense, shrubby silhouette
- obovate leaf growth
- between 2 and 7.5 cm long
- Leaf color is reddish brown
- bears edible fruit
Winged Spindle – Euonymus alatus
- also known as corkwing bush or cork spindle bush
- has the appearance of a small tree
- up to 3.5 m high and just as wide
- its leaf is 5-10 cm long
- conversely epileptic in shape and finely serrate
Japanese Maple – Acer japonicum
- short trunk, picturesque crown
- becomes more and more expansive with age
- Final height is approx. 5 m
- shapely leaf, about 14 cm long (reminiscent of monkshood)
- seven to nine lobes
Purpur Erle – Alnus x spaethii
- medium-sized tree, up to 18 m tall
- conical crown shape
- the leaf is 6-18 cm long
- narrow and oval, dark red in autumn
Scharlachkirsche – Prunus sargentii
- also known as mountain cherry
- grows up to 12 m high as a cultivated tree
- Crown is spreading with loosely overhanging shoots
- Leaf is approx. 12 cm long and tapers to a point
Sumpfeiche – Quercus palustris
- also known as boulevard oak, Nagel oak or Spree oak
- slow growing tree
- still grows up to 15m high
- has red to scarlet leaves in fall
Frequently Asked Questions
Already the first autumn produces red leaves. But it can usually be observed that the foliage of an older tree specimen shines more magnificently and more colorfully than was the case when it was young.
No, just the opposite! Trees that are only lightly fertilized show a more pronounced autumn colour. It also helps if they are sunny and on rather dry soil.
How long the red leaves stay on the tree depends on the tree species. The time span is also a little different every year, as is the weather. On windy days, the foliage is thinned out. A strong night frost can bring the beautiful sight to an abrupt end.
Some tree species produce a substance called anthocyanin (anthocyanins). This is responsible for the red coloration.
