Autumn Shades🍂😍

Autumn Photo Collage - Easy Big Trees

This week Harry has decided to get all colourful.  Well, not Harry himself.  Rather, it’s the fine selection he has chosen that has the colour.  These are the Autumn Colour Trees that, as Autumn bears down on us, showcase the beauty of nature to put on the most remarkable annual show.

Also, we have a wee clip from around the nursery this week. Click Here to view the video.

ACER rubrum 'October Glory' - Canadian Maple

Rich deep red shades of autumn colours in the rows of Columnar Canadian Maples, ideal for avenue planting.
*Acero rubrum* 'Autumn Blaze' showcases brilliant red fall color, rapid growth, strong branching, and adaptability to various soil and climate conditions.

The deep green lobed leaves of summer create a neatly presented aesthetic.  Tidy and upright, the ‘red sunset’ stands there elegantly as you patiently wait for Autumn and the crimson colour show that comes with it.  That show, when the red veins of the leaves spread the colour to each lobe tip, seems almost unreal or otherworldly.  Ideal for smaller gardens and avenues, this well structured maple also makes for a colourful shelter or screen.  This decidious, hardy example will grow up to 10m

*Acero rubrum* 'Autumn Blaze' showcases brilliant red fall color, rapid growth, strong branching, and adaptability to various soil and climate conditions.

Street planting as shown in Millbrook, Arrowtown

FRAXINUS oxycarpa 'Raywoodii' - Claret Ash

*Fraxinus oxycarpa* 'Raywoodii' offers stunning purple-red autumn foliage, a graceful, narrow form, fast growth, and adaptability to various soil types.
*Fraxinus oxycarpa* 'Raywoodii' offers stunning purple-red autumn foliage, a graceful, narrow form, fast growth, and adaptability to various soil types. FRAXINUS oxycarpa 'Raywoodii' in a 80L pot.

Growing upright, the Claret Ash has a sense of formality to it when youthful.  Something it keeps into maturity as it grows, changing into a well rounded tree.  During the summer months, the narrow and glossy leaves have a deep green colour that practically screams vitality.  In Autumn, the showpiece is revealed.  It is as if someone has poured a rich claret over the foliage.  The deciduous Claret Ash is tolerant of dry conditions and will grow to 10 x 5m.

*Fraxinus oxycarpa* 'Raywoodii' offers stunning purple-red autumn foliage, a graceful, narrow form, fast growth, and adaptability to various soil types.

LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua 'Worplesdon' - Sweet Gum

*Liquidambar styraciflua* 'Worplesdon' boasts vibrant autumn hues, a pyramidal shape, deeply lobed leaves, and adaptability to various soils and climates. LIQUIDAMBAR styraciflua 'Worpelsdon' in a 80L pot.
*Liquidambar styraciflua* 'Worplesdon' boasts vibrant autumn hues, a pyramidal shape, deeply lobed leaves, and adaptability to various soils and climates.

This is one of those trees that takes your breath away with its colour. The upright pyramidal form puts on a stunning show as the large star-shaped leaves change from resplendent green to gold, then vibrant orange. The colour show reaches its attention grabbing crescendo when the red, crimson and purple shades come though. It’s a display suited to avenues, laneways and entranceways.

*Liquidambar styraciflua* 'Worplesdon' boasts vibrant autumn hues, a pyramidal shape, deeply lobed leaves, and adaptability to various soils and climates.

Stunning Avenue of Liquidambar, Wanaka

MALUS 'Echtermeyer' - Weeping Crabapple

*Malus* 'Echtermeyer' offers graceful weeping branches, stunning pink blossoms, attractive red fruit, and excellent disease resistance, perfect for ornamental gardens.
*Malus* 'Echtermeyer' offers graceful weeping branches, stunning pink blossoms, attractive red fruit, and excellent disease resistance, perfect for ornamental gardens. MALUS 'Echtermeyer' in a 30L pot.

This weeping tree is short in stature but big in beauty.  Every year, it produces a crimson-red single blossom of such appeal, it will draw you in, practically asking you to delicately hold its beauty in your hand for a moment.  When the blossom retreats, small glossy crabapples appear, providing food for the wildlife.  New foliage first appears as bright red, before turning green, contrasting wonderfully against the purple-black branch stems.  Deciduous, the weeping crabapple will grow to a maximum height of around 3m.

SORBUS arnoldiana 'Kirstens Pink' - Pink Berry Rowan

*Sorbus* 'Kristens Pink' offers clusters of vibrant pink berries, attractive pinnate leaves, white spring flowers, and excellent cold and disease tolerance. SORBUS 'Kristens Pink' in a 30 L pot.
*Sorbus* 'Kristens Pink' offers clusters of vibrant pink berries, attractive pinnate leaves, white spring flowers, and excellent cold and disease tolerance.

It’s the berries. Arriving in heavy clusters in Autumn and through winter, the pink to rose colouring provides a vivid colour set against the often grey skies. The foliage is decorative, leaves pinnate and of a rich green colour in summer which makes way for a fiery red, orange and purple in winter. This small shrubby tree is showy in the very best way. Deciduous and growing to 5 x 3 m.

*Sorbus* 'Kristens Pink' offers clusters of vibrant pink berries, attractive pinnate leaves, white spring flowers, and excellent cold and disease tolerance.

Plantings in the streets of Arrowtown showing their full glory!

ULMUS hollandica 'Lobel' - Upright Elm

*Ulmus hollandica* 'Lobel' offers a tall, columnar shape, fast growth, high disease resistance, and adaptability to urban environments and diverse soils.
*Ulmus hollandica* 'Lobel' offers a tall, columnar shape, fast growth, high disease resistance, and adaptability to urban environments and diverse soils. ULMUS hollandica 'Lobel' in a 300L pot.

The dark green leaves are small, rough and closely arranged on short branches which maintain a pyramidal form, eventually forming a dense crown. They turn a striking bronze colour in Autumn and make for a remarkable site when planted in lines to define a street or avenue. A hardy tree, it’s particularly well suited to coastal areas, tolerating salt winds well. This deciduous tree will grow to 10 x 5m.

*Ulmus hollandica* 'Lobel' offers a tall, columnar shape, fast growth, high disease resistance, and adaptability to urban environments and diverse soils.

Street plantings of Ulmus ‘Lobel’ in Pegasus, Canterbury
Archives