Autumn Colors: Trees in Their Brilliant Hues

Depending on where you live autumn can be a time rich in colors. Autumn is the time of harvest. It is time to bring in the fruits of the summer months. This means that fruits and vegetables can be at their prime. At farmers markets tables are loaded with variety of colors and fragrances.

It is also the time for the trees to put on their brilliant dresses of color and show. There is no greater time to live in the northern country than in the fall in some opinions. There are scenic drives throughout New England, down into New York and Pennsylvania, across to the Midwest and even some into the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Colors of trees depend on several factors. There is of course the type of tree itself. Other factors are environmental. Trees at higher altitudes may have more brilliant colors than the same species at a lower elevation. Trees in the mountains also may show their colors earlier or for a shorter period of time. Colors also depend on how much water the tree has gotten during the year. Colder nights and warm days also will affect the colors of the trees.

I have to admit my favorite colors are the reds and oranges. These trees just bring home the fall to me. These trees are typically the Red Maple, Oaks, Flowering Dogwoods, and ash. Some shrubs can also have red and orange leaves. Blueberries, huckleberry and the sumac are all brilliant in their red colors.

If you are looking for maroon colors White Ash and White Oak are the trees that will give you those glorious maroon shades. Bittersweet and Nightshade are vines in those color hues.

Those with the different shades of yellow would be Birch, Cherry, hickory, Maples and Mulberry trees. Witch Hazel and Hawthorn shrubs offer those often brilliant colors as well. Poison Ivy has even been known to give its leaves a gorgeous color varying in yellows to orange and maybe red.

While this is only a partial list and many of these trees may have a wide variety of colors. You may even see different colors on the same tree. Learn to identify the trees by the shapes of the leaves and the looks of the tree. The vibrant colors and textures are also clues as to what the trees are. Brilliant dressed trees are a wonder of autumn. Get out and enjoy the local color and the produce available in your area. If you are not lucky enough to be in an area that is blessed with the wonderful hues of autumn consider a drive or even a mini vacation to see and enjoy the colors.