Leaf Colors of Common Trees Here in the Oak-Hickory Forest

reddish oak leaves. Photo by Donna L. Long — Reddish oak leaves. Photo by Donna L. Long

The Philadelphia area is graced with a show of spectacular fall tree color. We are just far enough north for the tree leaves to change and just far enough south to miss frigid winter temperatures. Perfect.

Tree leaves change colors in autumn according to their species DNA. Here is a list of the fall colors of common tree species here in the Oak-Hickory region of the Eastern Deciduous Forest.

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra). Photo by Donna L. Long

Oak Tree Fall Leaf Colors

bear oak – yellowish-brown
black oak – dull brown
blackjack oak, pin oak, turkey oak – reddish with an orange tinge
post oak – brown-red oak – dull brown
scarlet oak – bright scarlet to deep red
Virginia live oak – green this is an evergreen oak)

Hickory tree leaves in autumn – Nhlord [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Hickories Tree Fall Leaf Color

All hickories have yellow leaves in fall.

Red MapleTree (Acer rubrum) leaf. Photo by Donna L. Long.

Maple Tree Fall Leaf Colors

box-elder – yellow, sometimes reddish

red maple – red

silver maple – pale yellow

striped male – yellow

sugar maple – bright orange, turning to yellow

Yellow Birch tree leaves (Betula neoalaskana) in autumn. KANUTI NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE – public domain

Birch Tree Fall Leaf Color

Birches – all turn shades of yellow

Fall Trees trunks and Golden Leaves. Photo by Donna L. Long.

Other Tree Species Fall Leaf Colors

American beech – light yellow and turning brownish tan

American chestnut – brownish-yellow

Black tupelo – deep dark red

Bigtooth aspen – orange-yellow, turning pale yellow

Eastern cottonwood – yellow

Eastern sycamore – brown

Flowering Dogwood – deep red

Pin and wild cherries – reddish, turning yellow

Quaking Aspen – yellow varies from pale to deep

Sassafras – reddish becoming yellowish

Sumacs – orange, turning bright red

Sweetgum – orange-red, turning yellow

Tamarack (American Larch) – bright yellow needles

Tuliptree – bright yellow

White ash – maroon, dark reddish-green

Autumn in the Natural World

Autumn in the Natural World makes complex processes easy to understand, to the wonders of the autumn season. In easy to understand language the essential natural processes of the changing colors of leaves, why trees shed leaves, and how a pond can still freeze and still support life are explained. Learn the key star constellation which signals the end of summer and the growing season. Learn why the moon’s of autumn loom so large in the night sky.

Available in pdf and paperback starting at $5.99

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