Autumn tree planting time in central Illinois spans September through mid-October. Are you looking for a specific fall leaf color? Let’s start out with orange.
Bald cypress (Taxodium distrchum) may look like an evergreen conifer because it has needles instead of traditional leaves, however it is deciduous. Being a versatile tree, it can handle wet, dry, or even salty conditions. It needs full sun and will grow to 50-70 feet tall.
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Four states claim sugar maple as their official state tree, along with being the national tree of Canada. If you like orange, this is the tree for you. Plant in full to part sun where it has room to reach 40-75 feet skyward. If you wait 40 years, you can harvest some sap and make maple syrup.
Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) may also be known as black tupelo. Its claim to fame is producing red, orange, yellow, and maroon leaves simultaneously. Unfortunately for most of our area, it prefers acidic soil.
Do you prefer red leaves in the fall? How about a scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea) or white oak (Quercus alba). Both produce red foliage.
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) not only has red foliage in fall, but you have the bonus of white or pink blossoms in spring. It’s shorter than most trees, growing to 20-40 feet and may have a single trunk or multiples. It generally is considered an understory tree, but it will tolerate full sun.
Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora) aka Autumn Brilliance bears red-orange fall foliage, white flowers in spring, and edible purple-black berries in summer. It grows best in full sun to part shade.
Or are you looking for a tree with yellow fall foliage? Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) grows fragrant tulip-shaped flowers in spring and bright yellow-gold leaves in autumn. These are fast-growing trees, reaching 60-80 feet tall, however they tend to be shallow rooted and top heavy so do not plant them in soggy soil.
American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) can grow to 100 feet if planted in rich, moist soil. Not only will you get fruit, but also a greenish-yellow leaf color during autumn.
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) produces a yellow fruit that tastes like papayas and bananas. Its fall foliage is yellow gold. Being a fruit tree, it only reaches about 25 feet tall.
All the trees listed are native to Illinois and will benefit our ecosystem. If you want more suggestions, phone or email the Edgar County Extension Master Gardeners at 217-465-8585 or sarahep@illinois.edu.
Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.