Fall Color? Look to the Trees!

Looking for fall color? It is not too late to add it to your own backyard, regardless of the space you have to work with. Fall is a great time to plant colorful trees for two reasons: when you pick out your tree in the fall, you can be sure to get the color you desire and planting in the fall protects the newly planted tree from exposure to the hot summer sun.

Two favorites for this time of year are varieties of maple trees - the Amur Maple and the Japanese maple. Let's take a look at both of them.

Amur Maple

You can plant the Amur maple in Zones 3 through 8 but if you are planting above Zone 6, make sure you do it about six weeks prior the first hard frost. The fall foliage of the Amur Maple varies in color from yellow to deep red or even purple. Again, now is the time to choose the color you prefer.

These trees do well in full sun to light shade. They love moist, well drained soil, but will tolerate dry soil to drought conditions as well as some wind. They grow fifteen to twenty feet tall and fifteen to twenty-eight feet wide. Not only will the Amur Maple provide beautiful fall foliage, but fragrant white flowers will bloom in spring. The perfect accent for your colorful spring garden!

Japanese Maple

The leaves of the Japanese maple also may vary greatly in color including yellow, bronze, red and purple. For best results, plant in zones 5 through 8. They will thrive in light dappled shade and evenly moist, well drained soil. These trees should be protected from drying winds. They will grow 15 to 25 feet tall and 10 to 25 feet wide. In spring, you will see small red or purple flowers, but you've got to look closely as they are insignificant from a distance.

A Japanese maple comes in thread-leaf - where the leaves are thin and stringy - or broad leaf.

Both the Amur and Japanese maples are great for large container planting or if you are landscaping in a small area like a sidewalk or deck. When using a container, the choices of materials are limitless - plastic tubs, wooden barrels or clay pots. Just be careful of clay in the summer as it can leach water from the soil. You might also want to put this pot on wheels so you can move it easily if need be.

Whatever your container choice, proper drainage water drainage is key. If the container does not already have drainage, drill two holes per each square foot of bottom area. Also, be sure to use a soil mixture with the proper balance of water absorption for your maple trees and at the same time is porous enough to provide air space. Miracle-Gro puts out a good water retention potting soil but it's pricey.

Now is the time to brighten up your fall landscape with a maple tree or two and enjoy the color!