Plant Trees for Fall Color

Fall is the best time to plant trees for a number of reasons. First, when planted in the fall, trees utilize the cooler weather to put out new feeder roots. These new roots will grow during winter in our area when the soil temperature is above 45 degrees, giving the trees time to recover from any transplant shock. Trees planted in the fall will expand their root systems before top growth begins in spring.

Another advantage to buying and planting in fall is that you can see the trees structure and fall foliage when making your selection. This is particularly important for trees such as red maples, whose fall colors can vary in shades of red or yellow, and red oaks, which have colors ranging from dull brown to fiery red. Top dress a tree’s root area with a good organic fertilizer and a couple of inches of finished compost. This will give the root system the needed carbs that will help get your tree off to a great start in spring. Finally, add a good organic mulch, but keep it at least three inches from the trunk.

Here are some great trees that are well adapted to North Texas and that can provide good to extraordinary fall color:

• Aristocrat pear (Pyrus Calleryana ‘Aristocrat’): Fast growing with stunning spring flowers of white to pale pink in March. Leaves are glossy, fruit inconspicuous. Great as an accent or street tree. Outstanding red fall color. Height to 40 feet.
• Bald cypress (Tacodium distichum var. distichum): Tolerant of either wet or dry soil, this outstanding pyramid-shaped tree has coppery fall foliage. Beautifully shaped and attractive. Best selections are hybrids from the hill country (Medina River area). Height to 60 feet.)
• Bigtooth maple (Acer grandidentatum): A native of Central Texas, this species of sugar maple has dark green leaves that turn bright yellow to reddish-orange in the fall. Height to 45 feet.
• Caddo maple (Acer barbatum ‘Caddo’): This maple is heat and drought-tolerant, and has excellent orange to reddish fall color. Height to 60 feet.
• Cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia): Very dependable shade tree with small dark green foliage that changes to a golden or yellow fall color. Height to 70 feet.
• Chinese pistachio (Pistachio chinensis): A near-flawless shade tree that is highly adapted and has beautiful orange to red foliage in the fall. Interesting bark, gray and orange color. Height to 60 feet.
• Shantung maple (Acer truncatum): A beautiful maple with spreading canopy and attractive foliage that turns spectacular red to red-orange in late fall. Tolerates heat and alkaline soils. Good shade tree for smaller years. Height to 25 feet.
• Trident maple (Acer buergeranum): Tolerant of wind, salt, drought, air pollution, and soil compaction. A good tree for restricted root zone sides. With age, the bark exfoliates revealing gray, orange and brown color. Fall color varies greatly. Height to 30 feet.
• Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba): Upright, with open branched habit and is virtually pest and disease free. Provide plenty of room. Male is preferred. Lovely yellow fall color. Height to 70 feet.
• Golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata): The deep green foliage color turns yellow/orange in the fall. An adapted and attractive small tree with showy summer flowers. Height to 30 feet.
• Japanese maple (Acer palmatum): Many varieties, some with fiery bright fall foliage. Most varieties need protection from afternoon sun. An excellent under story tree. Heights to 15 feet.
• Lace Bark elm (Ulmus parvifolia): Native to China. This fast grower gets its name because the bark sheds and reveals orangebrown patches, giving the trunk a lacey appearance. Does not tolerate over watering. Good yellow fall color. Height to 50 feet.
• Shumard red oak (Quercus shumardii): An excellent large native shade tree. Be sure to plant in an area that will accommodate its size. Good to excellent fall colors of orange to near purple-red. Height to 100 feet.
• Texas red oak (Quercus buckleyi, also Q. texana): This Texas native (hill country) is similar to the Shumard red oak, but smaller. Dependable red autumn foliage. Height to 35 feet.

(Article by John Hunt, member of the First Men’s Garden Club of Dallas)