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Friday - November 27, 2015

From: Ashburn, VA
Region: Select Region
Topic: Plant Lists, Trees
Title: Colorful Maples for Virginia and Pennsylvania
Answered by: Anne Van Nest

QUESTION:

We are trying to find out which trees have three or more leaf colors in the fall in Virginia and/or Pennsylvania. We found that Sweetgum and some maples do. Can you please let us know which maples have several leaf colors in the fall or other trees? Thank you!

ANSWER:

Maples native to Pennsylvania and Virginia ...

Acer barbatum (Southern Sugar Maple) Fall foliage is usually yellow

Acer negundo (Box Elder) Fall foliage is insignificant

Acer nigrum (Black Maple) Fall foliage is yellow to orange-red

Acer pensylvanicum (Striped Maple) Fall foliage is lemon yellow

Acer rubrum (Red Maple) Fall foliage variable, ranging from brilliant red to yellow or greenish-yellow

Acer saccharinum (Silver Maple) Fall foliage ranges from yellow-brown to yellow tinged with bright red

Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple) Fall foliage brilliant red, yellow and orange

Acer spicatum (Mountain Maple) Fall foliage mottled orange to bright red

 

Some additional trees for great fall color include Nyssa sylvatica (Blackgum) with fluorescent yellow, orange, scarlet and purple in the fall; Sassafras albidus with deep orange, scarlet, purple and yellow leaf colors; and Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum) with purple and red leaf colors

 

From the Image Gallery


Tupelo
Nyssa sylvatica

Sassafras
Sassafras albidum

Sassafras
Sassafras albidum

Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua

Southern sugar maple
Acer floridanum

Box elder
Acer negundo

Black maple
Acer nigrum

Striped maple
Acer pensylvanicum

Red maple
Acer rubrum

Silver maple
Acer saccharinum

Sugar maple
Acer saccharum

Mountain maple
Acer spicatum

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