Gardening Advice & Tips for Irish Gardeners

A common tendency of gardeners and garden designers this time of year is to buy and plant trees and shrubs with great autumn colour. Everyone is seeking out the best trees and shrubs to add an element of the autumnal to the garden.

This year has proven to be a particularly good year for autumn colour with a range of oranges, reds and yellow throughout gardens and the countryside. The process of autumn colour coincides with the beginning of a plants period of dormancy. This is when the green coloured pigments or chlorophyll found within the leaves begin to fade. These sun-absorbing pigments begin to die off as the tree and shrubs no longer require sun energy and therefore no longer require these pigments. As the green chlorophyll pigments die off other pigments or colours within the leaf become visible. Pigments such as carotene (yellow) or anthocyanin (reds)  exist in leaves throughout the summer but the green of chlorophyll outshines these colours. Once the green chlorophyll dies the beautiful autumn colours that we can see become prominent in the leaves.

So what trees provide the best Autumn colour? There are many great choices and here is a list of some of the best:

Liquidambar

These medium sized trees are not suitable for small garden but because of their beautiful autumn show they will really light up the largest of gardens. L. Styraciflua, like all tree on this list, are deciduous. This Liquidambar can reach a height of 15M and is a true specimen tree. Their palmate leaves look similar to the Japanese maples but the trees overall shape is quite different. They have a tall and pyramid shape makes these trees an attractive feature tree all year round.

Euonymus Europaeus

Also known as the Spindle tree, E. Europaeus looks really good this year. In autumn their leaves turn a deep blood red making them stand out even amongst other autumn leaves. The spindles are deciduous and are easily recognisable by their unusual ‘winged’ stems. Their stems have strange blade like protrusions that can be found on all sides given them a sharp and defensive look. Another feature of the Spindle is their fruits which are an orange and red colour. E europaeus can be grown as a tree or shrub and can reach height of 4M

Euonymus alatus

Another of the Euonymus family of trees and shrubs is the E. Alatus. And again, like the europaeus this plant can be grown as a tree or shrub, but is most commonly seen as a large shrub. The alatus has the same long ovate leaf shape as the europaeus but it habit is more of a wide, arching shrub that can spread 4M in width. They turn a striking red in October.

Amelanchier lamarckii

Truly an all rounder, the Snowy mespilus has something for every part of the year. In spring , before the leaves come out they turn out in a mass of white with flowers similar to the cherry or malus. In summer they are covered in their green foliage which come autumn turns a range of yellows, oranges and reds. By winter their stark twiggy skeleton provides further interest and defines a season. A lamarackii reaches a height of 8M and is said to prefer acidic soil.

Parrotia perisca

I have had one of these in my garden for 4 years now and it’s been sitting there quietly and un-noticed waiting for its chance to shine and well, this year its moment has arrived. From afar the autumnal colours are vibrant and up close you could spend hours taking in the intricate details of the leaves colouring. The outer parts of the leaves turn a rusty red while the midrib and leaf veins have faded to yellow and in between is an earthy brown colour that sets it off.

Like the Amelanchier, P. Perisca prefers acidic soil but mine is alkaline and its doing quite well. Ultimate height is 8M

Prunus sargentii

One place on my travel list is Japan, but the time of year is something I can’t yet decide on; Japanesse cherry blossom are certainly known for their spectacular but short lived spring blooms but little time is given to those few that add autumn colour to their portfolio. P sargentii and P serrula both offer more when it comes to autumn colour and I am sure that the sight of valleys filled with them would be even more impressive in autumn as in spring. But of course you don’t need to go to Japan to see them, these, like every tree listed can be found in your local garden centre. P sargentii is a taller Cherry blossom growing to 10M

Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’

Autumn colour is defined by the Maple and the their large red leaves that put on such a great show. Unfortunately Maples are less active in Ireland and Europe as they are in North America and Canada where whole forests turn a blaze of reds and yellows in early October. Instead in Ireland we have a select few Maples and one such tree is A. rubrum  ‘October Glory’. This varirty of A. rubrum is the most reliable of the maples when it come to autumn colour in Ireland. Like all field Maples this one can grow very large reach a final height of 20M, so not for the average garden.

Fagus slyvatica

Common beech is not a plant we would normally associate with autumn colour but this year this has looking great. Beech is semi evergreen meaning its leaves will die in autumn but they are retained until the following spring when new leaves form. Beech turns subtle shades of yellow and orange and en mass makes for a great autumnal scene and in the Irish countryside makes up 90% of our autumn colours. A large tree if left to grow and will reach 25M