One thing belongs above all to autumn: colorful leaves! Here you can find out which shrubs and trees develop the most beautiful colors in autumn.
Many people consider autumn to be the best time of the year. Above all, the bright colors of the leaves have always fascinated young and old and ensure a breathtaking play of colours. But not every tree and every bush turns its leaves so beautifully orange, yellow or red. So that you can still look forward to a colorful autumn, we will show you ten bushes and trees that have the most beautiful and intense colors.
In order for your garden to offer a real sea of colors in autumn, some of the following shrubs and trees should definitely be in your garden.
1. Gingko
In its native country of China, the ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) is particularly popular because of its beautiful autumn colours. No wonder, after all, the leaves are bright yellow in autumn and cannot be overlooked from afar. Fortunately, no one has to travel to Asia to admire this natural phenomenon: the ginkgo is now growing worldwide and is also becoming increasingly popular in Germany. In sunny locations, the ginkgo grows almost by itself. However, a purchase should definitely be well considered. On the one hand, ginkgoes grow up to 40 meters high and form a sprawling crown that can quickly lead to space problems in small gardens. On the other hand, female ginkgo trees produce fruit similar to plums in September, which have a very unpleasant smell. Because of this, many gardeners prefer the male variety of the tree, which does not bear fruit.
2. Barberry
Barberries (Berberis) have become a popular hedge plant. Above all, the fact that they are extremely easy to care for makes them predestined for this task. As a rule, a barberry does not need to be watered or fertilized after it has grown in - it takes care of itself. There are now many species that are evergreen and promise good privacy in winter.But the barberry can do even more: its bright flowers look beautiful and make the hedge an eye-catcher. The barberry also bears small, red fruits, which are very tasty but also slightly sour, so that the barberry is called "sour thorn" or "vinegar berry" in many areas. In autumn, many species also show beautiful leaf coloring. The hedge barberry (Berberis thunbergii), for example, is a deep orange to dark red, while the golden barberry (Berberis thunbergii ´Aurea´) is a beautiful golden yellow shines. This is how you offer a home to a real beauty with the barberry instead of a boring, green hedge.
Tip: Why do the leaves change color in autumn? We provide the answer to this question in our special article, in which we also explain why the leaves fall in autumn.
3. Witch Hazel
The name of the witch hazel (Hamamelis) sounds a bit magical. However, anyone who has seen the beautiful shrub can hardly deny its magical beauty. The witch hazel is simply one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs ever. Especially in winter, the witch hazel is a real eye-catcher: while all other plants seem to have sunk into deep hibernation, the witch hazel suddenly sprout thread-like, bright yellow to red petals. A truly unreal sight between snow and ice. But the witch hazel also shows its best side in autumn and has leaves in different colors from yellow to crimson.
4. Vinegar
The vinegar tree (Rhus typhina) got its unusual name because its fruits are said to taste so sour and almost like vinegar. Its berries have also fallen into disrepute in Germany and have long been considered poisonous. In fact, its berries are actually very he althy and tasty. In its native North America, the fruits of the vinegar tree have long been used to make the well-known "Indian Lemonade", which is a real vitamin C bomb. The red berries also look fabulous when they remain on the otherwise bare branches in winter and stand out from the white snow. But its autumn color is also a reason why the vinegar tree is regaining popularity as an ornamental tree: its leaves turn orange to bright red. Especially in combination with evergreen hedgesor dark violet asters, the vinegar tree becomes an optical sensation.
5. Japanese Maple
The Japanese maple is probably a real autumn classic. With its filigree leaves, which turn yellow-orange to crimson in October, it also looks simply wonderful. In addition, its picturesque growth with the short trunk and spreading crown reinforces its impressive effect. As a rule, three species are grouped together under the name Japanese maple: The fan maple (Acer palmatum), the Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) and the golden maple (Acer shirasawanum ´Aureum´). In autumn, the golden maple is characterized by a particularly bright and intensive yellow colouration, which is beautiful to look at. In autumn, the Japanese maple turns into a dancing sea of flames and, with a height of up to seven meters, is significantly larger than the golden or Japanese maple. But the Japanese maple is in no way inferior to its two brothers when it comes to leaf coloration - its filigree leaves show a wide variety of shapes and colors depending on the cultivated form. With almost 400 different varieties in which the three types are divided, almost every gardener will find a suitable tree.
6. Pear
Not just for autumn, but for the whole year: the service pear (Amelanchier) is a great tree for the home garden. In spring, the tree shines with beautiful, star-shaped flowers and in autumn with an incredible coloration. There are almost 25 varieties of the service pear and all of them are easy to care for. Their colors vary from copper red to bronze and the North American species in particular are real eye-catchers with their colorful foliage. But the fruits of the pear are not to be scoffed at either, although many gardeners don't even know that they are edible. The small blue fruits are reminiscent of blueberries not only in appearance but also in taste and are very he althy. In Germany, the fruit served as a substitute for currants for a long time, which is why the pear is popularly called the "currant tree".
7. Virginia Creeper
Not only trees and bushes can shine bright red in autumn. How about, for example, a fence, a wall or even an entire wall? WithVirginia creeper (Parthenocissus) is no problem at all. The undemanding climbing plant is not only wonderfully easy to care for, but also grows quickly and hides desolate facades under its green leaves. Especially in autumn, the wine becomes a real eye-catcher: instead of bright green, the leaves turn deep red and bring autumnal beauty to every house. Incidentally, the leaves change color particularly intensively when the wine gets a lot of sun. Wild grapevines shouldn't just be in your garden because of their beautiful colour: The greenery on your house facade acts as a natural air conditioner and ensures a pleasantly cool climate in summer.
8. Chokeberry
Bright red leaves and deep black berries - in autumn the chokeberry (Aronia), also known as chokeberry, becomes a real eye-catcher. But the chokeberry is not only a feast for the eyes in autumn - it also enchants with beautiful white flowers in spring, which is why it is often cultivated as an ornamental plant. But the fruits of the chokeberry are also not to be scoffed at: With lots of vitamin C, folic acid and antioxidants, the fruit is not only very he althy, but above all very tasty. It is a popular treat, especially as juice, jam and liqueur, but the dark fruits are also eaten dried as raisins. However, the fruits should be consumed raw with a certain degree of caution, as they have a slightly laxative effect. They also taste slightly sour, which not everyone likes. But just because of their breathtaking autumn colors, an chokeberry in the garden is definitely worth it.
9. Beautyfruit
It is not the leaves but the berries that make this plant so charming. The beautiful fruit (Callicarpa bodinieri) definitely lives up to its name: the intense purple colored berries exude their very own flair. The small fruits, which almost resemble colorful pearls and which is why the plant is also called “love pearl bush”, only appear on the otherwise rather inconspicuous shrub in autumn. The beautiful berries linger on the plant well into December and create an almost picturesque picture. However, one should not be deceived by the idyll - despite their appetizing appearance, the fruits are poisonous to humans. Otherwise this is fascinating eye candybut not very demanding: its cultivation requires little effort and is therefore also well suited for beginners.
10. Sweetgum
A colorful firework display in your own garden? With the Sweetgum (Liquidambar) this is no problem. This particular tree is native to North America and has similar leaves to the maple. While it is mainly cultivated in its homeland for its sweet-smelling resin, it is a popular ornamental tree in Europe. And not without reason: when it comes to autumn colours, hardly anyone can hold a candle to the sweetgum tree. The sweetgum tree has a wide variety of colors from yellow to red to a deep violet. It is not uncommon for a tree to have entire color gradients, which give the sweetgum a particularly beautiful appearance. Multiple hues can even appear on the same leaf. The sweetgum tree is not only a feast for the eyes, but for all the senses. If you rub the colorful leaves between your fingers, you will be greeted by a pleasant scent that will quickly reveal why the resin of the tree is so popular.
Autumn Leaves makes for work in the garden on the one hand, and on the other hand it can be useful and offers some useful applications. Find out here what you can do with autumn leaves in the garden.
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