Fabulous Fall Foliage

With so many options for fall color in Pennsylvania, your landscape can shine as brightly as our native forests.

 

Colors are to fall what blossoms are to spring. Come fall, every tree becomes an artist, unveiling landscapes full of autumn masterpieces just when we thought the year’s beauty had long since passed. Lucky for us, we can enjoy these stunning displays in our own Glenside backyards by growing the best trees and shrubs for fall color! 

 

The Best Trees for Autumn Beauty in Pennsylvania  

 

Red Maple

All maple trees put on a brilliant display in the fall, but the red maple is one of the best. This tall native tree flushes scarlet in the autumn, becoming a commanding focal point when planted in your yard. If the red maple isn’t quite your style, other colorful maple options include the sugar maple, Japanese maple, and paperbark maple.  

 

Dogwood 

These small to medium-sized trees produce white spring blossoms, which contrast beautifully with the glorious burgundy leaves and bright red berries that delight the eyes in fall and winter. At maturity, a dogwood tree can range from 15 to 20 feet in height. An understory tree, they thrive in a little shade from taller trees in the area.  

 

Black Gum  

When autumn arrives, Black Gums change to a brilliant bright red with orange and yellow undertones. They have a distinctly pyramidal shape and reach approximately 40 feet at maturity with a spread of 25 feet. To top it all off, black gums are native to Pennsylvania! 

 

American Elm 

American Elms are the archetypal boulevard tree. They spread their limbs in a nearly perfect arch, providing glowing shade on sunny summer afternoons. Come autumn, their green leaves transform into a bright yellow display, perfectly accenting the dappled golden fall sunlight.

 

American Beech 

Another native giant of our northern forests, the American Beech transforms into a gorgeous canopy of yellow and gold in the fall. Growing to a stately 50 to 70 feet tall at maturity, they’re also one of the best trees for attracting wildlife, which feed on their nuts. 

Other excellent fall foliage trees include sweetgum, northern red oak, black cherry, and white ash. 

 

The Best Shrubs for Fall Color in Pennsylvania  

 

Oakleaf Hydrangea 

True to its name, the Oakleaf Hydrangea features large, oak-like leaves. They are one of the stars of summer with their huge, white flowers, but they delight the senses again in autumn with their burgundy and maroon leaves. You never go wrong planting a hydrangea in your yard, especially this native species.  

 

Virginia Sweetspire 

With their white, bottle-brush flowers that bloom in June, the Virginia Sweetspire is a late-spring favorite. It’s once again a late bloomer come fall, waiting until other trees have turned color before finally revealing a crimson explosion of color. These bright leaves often remain on the branch all the way until December. 

 

Witch Hazel 

A rarity among Pennsylvania shrubs, the witch hazel is a fall bloomer, unfurling spidery, spicy-scented yellow flowers in October through to November and sometimes all the way to the end of winter. These come in addition to the glorious yellow leaves that grace their branches in autumn.

 

Serviceberry 

The serviceberry shrub provides a great service by offering an abundance of blueberry-like berries in the summer. Come fall, the serviceberry’s leaves brighten to vibrant shades of reds, oranges, or a combination thereof, making it a cherished shrub for the entire growing season.  

 

Beautyberry 

Whoever named the beautyberry wasn’t mincing words. Indeed, few berries are as memorable as these, which ripen into a bright purple color in the fall and provide a beautiful contrast to the yellow and red leaves of other trees and shrubs. If you want to add purple to your fall landscape, the beautyberry is the plant for you. 

Other shrubs for magnificent fall colors include witch alder, red chokecherry, viburnum, spirea, and others. 

 

With so many options for fall color in Pennsylvania, your landscape can shine as brightly as our native forests. To see our full selection of the best trees and shrubs for autumn, come explore our garden center in Glenside, PA!