Gardening Trees, Shrubs & Vines Trees The 19 Best Fall Trees and Shrubs for a Burst of Fiery Color Pour some hot apple cider, put on a sweater, and grab a seat in your yard for the best show of the year - the leaves are changing soon! By Jennifer Aldrich Jennifer Aldrich Jennifer Aldrich is an experienced editor who has worked at the two largest magazine publishers in the United States. She shares her knowledge of social media to millions of users through the Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter accounts for Better Homes & Gardens. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 12, 2023 Reviewed by Sylvia Duax Reviewed by Sylvia Duax Sylvia Duax has over 15 years of experience as a professional Horticulturist with expertise in: sustainable garden maintenance techniques; Southeastern U.S., especially in the mid-Atlantic regional gardening; native plants; wildlife gardening; small space, urban and container gardening and community engagement. Learn about BHG's Gardening Review Board Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Carson Downing The gorgeous warm colors of fall trees are a bright spot to look forward to each year as the temperatures start to dip. Fill your yard in an explosion of fiery hues with our list of the best trees and shrubs for fall color. Find Out When Fall Tree Colors Will Be On Display This Autumn 01 of 19 Sugar Maple John Williams This extra-reliable tree that's native to North America makes a stunning statement in the fall. Sugar maple is a fall tree that offers gorgeous red, orange, or yellow end-of-season leaves. Name: Acer saccharum Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 70 feet tall Zones: 4–8 02 of 19 Dogwood Matthew Benson Beautiful just about any time of year, dogwoods are usually planted for their white or pink springtime flowers. But don't overlook the gorgeous purple-red tones their leaves will bring to your fall landscape. Some dogwoods are trees, and some are shrubs, so you can find the best size to suit your landscape. Name: Cornus spp. Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 25 feet tall Zones: 5–8 03 of 19 Chokeberry Marty Baldwin A native shrub that shines in several seasons, in spring, chokeberry shrubs offer white flowers that look like apple blossoms, rich red fruits in late summer and autumn, and brilliant orange-red fall foliage. Name: Aronia arbutifolia Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, but well-drained soil Size: To 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide Zones: 4–9 Follow This Fall Garden Checklist to Prep Your Yard for Winter 04 of 19 Stewartia Laurie Black This top-notch small tree looks beautiful throughout the year. Its dark green leaves make a nice foil for its late-summer, white camellia-shaped flowers. In fall, stewartia's leaves turn pretty orange, yellow, and red shades. Name: Stewartia pseudocamellia Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 40 feet tall Zones: 5–8 05 of 19 Ginkgo Erica Dines Slow-growing ginkgo adds grace and valuable shade to any landscape. Its fan-shaped leaves are among the most elegant of any tree. In autumn, they show breathtaking shades of luminous golden yellow. This species is one of the few deciduous fall trees that will drop all its leaves overnight instead of over several weeks. Name: Ginkgo biloba Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 100 feet tall Zones: 4–9 06 of 19 Amur Maple Doug Stremel Another maple that takes on brilliant fall color, Amur maple is a small tree or large shrub (depending on how you prune it) that bears bright red leaves in fall. It can become a bit weedy, as it produces hundreds of seeds each year, so plant it where you can control the seedlings that pop up. Name: Acer ginnala Growing Conditions: Sun and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 25 feet tall Zones: 3–7 07 of 19 Sumac Adam Albright An incredibly tough native shrub, sumac provides some of the brightest red color you'll see in autumn. One note, though. While extra-tough and beautiful, sumac is a fast spreader, so it's best to plant it where it has plenty of space. Name: Rhus typhina Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 15 feet tall Zones: 3–8 08 of 19 Viburnum Peter Krumhardt Several members of this big group of shrubs offer bright autumn foliage in warm shades of red. A particularly good viburnum species for fall color is native cranberrybush, named for the eye-catching, edible ruby-red fruits that follow white spring flowers. Name: Viburnum Growing Conditions: Sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 15 feet tall Zones: 2–7 NectaPlums: The One Fruit Tree You Can Grow Almost Anywhere 09 of 19 Serviceberry Jim Krantz An easy-to-grow small tree or shrub (depending on how you prune it), serviceberry starts the growing season off with a display of small white springtime flowers. Next, it produces round, berry-like summer fruits that birds and other wildlife relish. Finally, the show concludes with amazing orange and red fall foliage. Even the silvery bark on this native plant looks pretty in winter. Name: Amelanchier canadensis Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 20 feet tall Zones: 3–7 10 of 19 Bald Cypress Peter Krumhardt A "fooled-you" fall tree, bald cypress looks like an evergreen conifer until this large native's needles turn russet-red before dropping, revealing its dramatic architectural shape, which you can enjoy all winter. Name: Taxodium distichum Growing Conditions: Sun and moist or wet soil Size: To 120 feet tall Zones: 5–10 11 of 19 Sweet Gum Ed Gohlich The distinctive star-shaped leaves of sweet gum make it a kaleidoscopic fall tree when they turn red, orange, and burgundy, giving the landscape a carnival feel at the season's end. Just be aware this native tree also produces scads of spiky, round seedpods that can be messy (and prickly for pets and people to walk on) once they drop to the ground. Name: Liquidambar styraciflua Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and well-drained soil Size: To 80 feet tall Zones: 5–9 12 of 19 Fothergilla Kritsada Panichgul A pretty but underused native shade-loving shrub, fothergilla offers blue-green foliage in spring and summer. Its leaves turn warm shades of gold and orange in fall—and fothergilla has honey-scented springtime flowers. Name: Fothergilla major Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 6 feet tall Zones: 5–8 13 of 19 Virginia Sweetspire Rob Cardillo This outstanding native shrub puts on an impressive show for months. In summer, Virginia sweetspire offers fragrant white flowers. Then, in autumn, it develops a rich purple-red leaf color. Also, it's very easy to grow. Name: Itea virginica Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 10 feet tall Zones: 5-9 14 of 19 Oakleaf Hydrangea Jane Milliman An excellent native shrub for shade, oakleaf hydrangea offers beautiful clusters of white blooms in summer, then rich burgundy fall foliage. Name: Hydrangea quericifolia Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 6 feet tall Zones: 5–9 15 of 19 Witch Hazel Adam Albright An eye-catching native shrub for the autumn landscape, witch hazel foliage turns a glowing golden-yellow in fall. As the leaves drop, delightful spidery yellow flowers appear. Name: Hamamelis virginiana Growing Conditions: Shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 12 feet tall Zones: 3–8 16 of 19 Japanese Maple Carson Downing One of the best plants for adding fall color to shady areas of your yard, Japanese maple turns brilliant shades of red, orange, or yellow at season's end. These small trees even look interesting after the leaves fall, thanks to the architectural shape of their bare branches. Name: Acer palmatum Growing Conditions: Shade to part shade and moist, but well-drained soil Size: To 25 feet tall Zones: 5–8 17 of 19 Sweet Birch Greg Ryan A graceful native tree in any season, sweet birch features cinnamon-colored, peeling bark and triangular dark green leaves that turn beautiful golden-yellow in fall. Name: Betula lenta Growing Conditions: Sun to shade and moist, well-drained soil Size: To 50 feet tall Zones: 3–7 18 of 19 Burning Bush Adam Albright This tough shrub earned its common name because of its autumn hues: In fall, the foliage turns glowing shades of red and pink. However, burning bush has become invasive in some regions of the country, so before planting, check to see if it's a problem in your area. Name: Euonymus alatus Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 20 feet tall Zones: 4-8 19 of 19 Smokebush John Granen Named for its plumes of soft, shimmering flowers, smokebush also offers gorgeous foliage. In summer, this shrub's leaves are purple or gold (depending on variety), and in fall, that already colorful foliage turns bold shades of orange and pink. Name: Cotinus coggygria Growing Conditions: Shade to part shade and moist but well-drained soil Size: To 15 feet tall and wide Zones: 5–8 Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! 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