Our top 5 trees for vibrant autumn colour and interest

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We know that Autumn colour is an important characteristic when choosing the perfect tree for your garden design.

As a specialist tree nursery, we consider this when choosing what to grow for you; cultivating varieties that provide rich hues and unique seasonal interest. Creating trees are perfect for garden designers looking to add vibrant autumnal beauty to their projects.

In this video Philip shares 5 of our favourite trees for vibrant Autumn colour and interest:

If you’d prefer to read, we’ve listed all of the trees here:

1. Acer cappadocicum ‘Aureum’

example photo of an Acer Cappadocicum Aureum, a multistem tree grown by Devon tree nursery New Wood Trees showing autumn red colour

Also known as the Golden Cappadocicum Maple, this is an enchanting deciduous tree renowned for its luminous, yellow-green foliage that adds a striking contrast to the landscape. It typically grows to a height of 8-12 meters, with a rounded, spreading crown that creates a balanced, elegant silhouette.

You can find more information on this tree here.

2. Betula Nigra

Betula nigra, or River Birch is quite different from other birches because of its arching spreading shape.  This creates a great canopy tree, so it will work quite well as a single specimen tree on a lawn or next to a stream as part of a planting scheme. An irregular tree with spreading pendulous branches. The leaves are diamond shaped and dark green which turns a beautiful yellow during autumn. 

You can find more information on this tree here.

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3. Cornus Controversa

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Also known as Giant dogwood, this is an impressive, multi-stemmed tree known for its striking tiered branches (they call it the wedding cake tree) and large, lush foliage. It goes a beautiful rich buttery yellow colour during Autumn.

Its unique structure and vibrant seasonal color make it ideal as a specimen tree in larger gardens, where it can be appreciated for its elegant, sculptural form.

You can find more information on this tree here.

4. Euonymus alatus ‘Chicago Fire’

We like to grow medium/large shrubs in the nursery as well as trees. And this one is particularly good, for autumn colors.

Its a hardy shrub renowned for its fiery autumn display. Growing to around 2-3 meters tall, it has a dense, rounded form with distinctive “winged” branches that add texture and interest throughout the year. Its deep green leaves transform into a blazing red in the fall, creating a spectacular focal point in any landscape.

You can find more information on this tree here.

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5. Euonymus europaeus

Euonymus europaeus, or common Spindle is a native large shrub or small tree that appear in some of the older hedgerows and become very visible during the autumn months.  This is when the leaves turn bright orange/red and the pink seed heads appear.  

You can find more information on this tree here.

NWT 2024 Stock photos

At New Wood Trees, we are committed to supporting you to find the perfect trees for your garden designs. If you’re unsure about which varieties of trees to choose, we’re more than happy to provide specific advice – please contact us with any questions you have.

Single Stem Vs Multi Stem

New Wood Trees Information

For more information about our nursery and how we grow our artisan, sculpted, multi-stem trees please head to our about us page.

To learn more about our trees and what stock we currently have available, please head to our stock pages or Contact Us to discuss your specific needs.

If you’d like to learn more about what we mean by ‘Multi-stem trees’? Check out our explainer here.

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