Depending on where you live, fall foliage may not be on your mind for a while. Here are some ideas for trees that will look great now and will continue to look great whenever the changing colors arrive. These trees can help boost your MCM curb appeal across the seasons.
American Sweetgum
The star-shaped leaves of the American sweetgum tree bears fall foliage particularly well. It’s able to grow in Zones 5-9, and so is a great candidate for adding a touch of deciduous fall foliage to your yard even in warmer states like California and Texas. See more information about the sweetgum tree here.
Japanese Red Maple
This delicate maple has red leaves throughout the year, bringing a touch of red to your yard beyond just the fall. Sometimes the red changes from a deep purplish shade to a brighter red and sometimes even green in the summer. It will still be red in the fall as well, and the samaras, the V-shaped winged seeds, are also red. Read more information here about growing Japanese red maples.
Ash Trees
The ash has pinnate leaves (whereas the maple has palmate leaves), so if you are looking for a variety of palmate and pinnate, the ash tree can help!
Linden Tree
Another tree with pinnate leaves, the linden tree’s fall foliage is also gold. The linden prefers more northern climates, but check to see if it might grow in your zone. In the summer, its wide canopy provides shade.
Honey Locust
These are a popular choice for good reason—they grow in a variety of climates, add visual interest with their clustered leaves, and turn honeyed gold in the fall. The sunburst honey locust turns a particularly vivid yellow-green. For more on honey locust trees’ needs, read here.
We asked principal at Ginkgo Leaf Studio, James M. Drzewiecki, for his favorite picks for fall foliage. Here is his categorized list.
Perennials with fall color
Amsonia family – Blue Ice
Bergenia – ‘Winterglut’
Most perennial geraniums incl. ‘Rozanne’
‘Autumn Joy’ sedum (dried flower heads)
Fall blooming perennials
Some monkshood varieties
Some ligularia varieties – ‘Britt Marie Crawford’
Some anemone varieties – ‘September Charm’
Ornamental grasses – nearly all have fall color!
Panicum varieties like ‘Northwind’
Calamagrostis Brachytriha (Fall reed grass)
Little Bluestem varieties – ‘The Blues’
Molinia ‘Moorflame’
Molinia ‘Transparent’
Indian grass varieties – ‘Indian Steel’
Shrubs with fall color
‘Tor’ spirea
‘Quickfire’ hydrangea
Oakleaf hydrangea
‘Karen’ azalea
Koreanspice viburnum (see previous photo with amsonia)
‘Miss Kim’ lilac
Trees with fall color
Redbud (cercis canadensis)
Ostrya virginiana
Carpinus caroliniana
Ginkgo cultivars – ‘Jade Butterflies’
Korean maple – ‘Northern Glow’
Full Moon maple cultivars
Want to read more about Mid Century Modern landscaping? Don’t miss Landscaping 101: The Mid Century Front Yard. Check out more of James’/Ginkgo Leaf Studio’s Midwest MCM landscaping projects Ginkgo Leaf Studio: What Makes Landscape MCM? and An MCM Landscape that Bridges Styles & Seasons.
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