At 25 to 30 feet tall, sourwood fits nicely into a small garden. Sourwood ( Oxydendrum arboreum): A little-known, but deserving tree that has the unusual feature of sending out long streamers of fragrant, white flowers in fall just as the foliage turns to heady shades of red, orange and purple.The form is tall – up to 60 feet – and rounded, just how you think a tree should be. Falling leaves smell wonderfully like burnt sugar. Katsura ( Cercidiphyllum japonicum): The unmistakable heart-shaped leaves emerge purple in the spring and seem to turn buttery yellow overnight in autumn.But if you’ve got the space, you’ll be happy with its striking claret-colored fall foliage and the equally appealing texture of the lance-shaped leaves. ‘Raywood’ ash ( Fraxinus oxycarpa): Big and bold, this tree grows 60 to 70 feet tall and almost as wide, which is a consideration when deciding where and if to plant it.Paperbark maple ( Acer griseum): Unmistakable cinnamon-colored peeling bark and glowing orange-red fall color make this slow-growing, small tree (25 feet eventually) a much-loved specimen in any size garden.A useful small tree up to 15 feet that often grows with multiple trunks. Vine maple ( Acer circinatum): Native to the Northwest, vine maple really comes into its own in fall when the foliage lights up in lively shades of red and orange.However, if you can find it, ‘Seattle Sentinel’ is a much smaller, narrower alternative, 15 feet tall and 5 feet wide, but only hardy to Zone 6. A large tree up to 50 feet at maturity, this West Coast native is not appropriate as a street tree or in small gardens. Big-leaf maple ( Acer macrophyllum): An impressive tree all around, big-leaf maple stirs up attention when its 12-inch leaves transform into a rich yellow, sometimes tinged with orange.In addition to western Oregon, it grows well in the central and eastern part of the state. At that size, it makes a great shade tree. Make sure you’ve got room for it though red maples grow quickly and eventually reach 60 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide. Not much beats the vibrant scarlet color this maple displays in autumn. Red maple ( Acer rubrum): A common tree, but for good reason.Here are Bell’s recommendations for trees with excellent fall color: “Wait for the leaves to start changing color and go for it.” “All in all, fall is the perfect time to select and plant a tree,” he said. Rains will start soon and reduce the need for watering. The weather is cool so trees are under less stress. Soil is warmer than in spring, so roots get a good head start. And most want sun, although vine maple, katsura, paperbark maple and ‘Eddie’s White Wonder’ dogwood don’t mind some shade.įall is an ideal time for planting, Bell added. “That’s my main objection.”īefore buying, also find out if the tree needs sun or some shade and if it requires irrigation in summer. Topping also encourages weaker growth and alters the shape. It introduces the possibility of disease and gives pests more access. Topping – or cutting off the tips of trees – is especially undesirable. “The biggest problem people have,” he said, “is that a tree gets too large, and then they are forced to prune just to reduce the size of the tree, which can often look horrible. You don’t want to be stuck with a 60-foot tree where a 30-foot tree should have gone. After filtering down your favorites, be absolutely sure about size, soil and sun requirements, Bell said. You can also cut out pictures from magazines and flip through garden books to find possibilities.īut wait, you’re not done. Take them to the nursery or to your local OSU Extension office for identification. If you can’t identify the trees you like, snap good photos, pick up several leaves or ask the owner for a cutting. Walk around neighborhoods, parks and public gardens to get ideas. “Trees will start to display color in the next few weeks.”įirst, though, Bell recommends doing some research. “If you’re specifically interested in fall color, it will soon be the time to start looking,” said Neil Bell, horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. – When trees get dressed with the colors of fall, it’s time to go shopping for a new addition to the garden.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |