For a few weeks each year we experience the color changing magic of the seasons as plants and trees transform into warm reds, oranges and yellows before the leaves ultimately fall before winter. With the arrival of fall comes rustic colors glowing in parks and gardens, leaves falling from trees, and bright, vibrant sunny days (if we're lucky). Planting a tree or two with red leaves in your garden is a worthwhile thing and a sustainable way to have a positive impact on the environment. They will also add beautiful structure, decorative details and vibrant colors to your garden. In this article you will learn which are the 5 most beautiful red trees and how you should care for them.
Trees with red leaves – the sweetgum tree
Liquidambar styraciflua is a magnificent tree, especially in autumn when it is draped in sparkling fiery colors such as gold, fiery red and amber. Also called the sweetgum tree, it is also very easy to grow and quickly becomes one of the most beautifulTrees in the garden.
In its natural habitat it grows up to 40 m high, but when cultivated it rarely exceeds 25-30 m. The crown initially grows in a narrow pyramidal shape with an ascending, vertical trunk. As the tree gets older, the branches grow wider, so the crown becomes uniform. The gray trunk has deep grooves. Young branches are yellow-green and turn reddish-brown. Older branches develop thick gray corky wings that sometimes fall off. The leaves are 5-lobed (sometimes 7-lobed) and the leaf margin is serrate. They are 8-16 cm long and 10-20 cm wide. If the tree is planted in a moist location, the leaves will become more purple. The fruit capsules appear after the inconspicuous flowering and remain on the tree until deep into winter.
The sweetgum tree is not resistant to long periods of drought. Since the trunk is almost dead straight up to the crown tip, it is ideal as an avenue tree.
Japanese Maple: The most popular ornamental maple for the garden
Acer palmatum, or Japanese maple, is a Japanese maple species that is without a doubt one of the most beautiful autumn trees. It is a versatile, ornamental, hardy, small tree or multi-stemmed shrub. The 5-, 7- or 9-lobed leaves are red or reddish-purple in spring and again in autumn. In between, the color varies from remaining red throughout the summer to sometimes fading slightly with ripeness or summer heat and even turning green. The paired,winged maple propellerare red and ripen in early autumn. The bark is quite smooth. Young stems are green to reddish-purple and red, turning gray with age.
Japanese maples prefer slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil and dappled shade, although too much shade slows growth and turns greener in color. Young leaves need to be protected from strong winds or late spring frosts. It is important to keep humidity constant and avoid alternating dry and wet periods. This species grows to about 5 to 7 meters tall and just as wide and is ideal for use as a garden accent or tree fence.
The East Asian fire maple
Acer ginnala comes from northern China and Japan. It got its common name fire maple because of its intense red autumn color.
The fire maple is a small, slow-growing tree that reaches 7-10 m tall when mature. It thrives in full sun or light shade, tolerates most soil types and has the added benefit of being wind and drought resistant.
The fire maple offers year-round benefits as it emerges early with large, three-lobed, glossy green leaves and produces yellow-white, fragrant flowers in May, which turn a bright red/orange in the fall.
The shining red maple
The red maple (Acer rubrum) is a medium-sized, deciduous tree native to eastern North America. It typically grows to 10-15 meters tall, with a rounded to oval crown. It grows faster than Norway maple and sugar maple. The red maple is usually found in moist lowlands, floodplains and moist forests. Newly emerging leaves, petioles, twigs, flowers, fruits and autumn color are red or reddish, although the quality of the red autumn color is variable in species plants. The leaves (5 -12 cm long) have 3 triangular main lobes (sometimes 5 lobes, with the two lower lobes largely suppressed) are medium to dark green above and gray-green below. The lobes have serrated edges and sharp tips, while the flowers on a concrete tree are primarily male or female or monoecious and appear before the leaves in late winter to early spring (March-April). Two-bladed maple propellers form the fruit of the tree.
A flowering type of tree with red leaves is the mountain cherry
The mountain cherry (Prunus sargentii) is called the “crème de la crème” of flowering cherries and offers beauty all year round. The pink flowers adorn the tree in late spring, the leaves unfurl with a purple or bronze hue, fading to a glossy dark green in the summer and then to red, orange and bronze in the fall. The winter landscape can only benefit from its attractive bark.
This fast-growing landscape tree stands out as a specimen in a lawn or landscape bed, but can also work well at the entrance to a subdivision, for commercial landscapes, or in the tree lawn area between the curb and sidewalk.
