Plan a walk through a neighborhood with mature trees full of fall color this week.

Everything about this fall has felt a couple of weeks behind — even fall color is running is running behind.

But, it’s here. It is officially time to get outdoors and enjoy the fall show!

Plan a color walk through your favorite neighborhood or park, take a leisurely bike ride through a neighborhood full of mature trees, or take an afternoon drive around the metro area.

Fall color depends upon a few key elements:

1. Abundant moisture during the growing season.

The best fall color follows a summer of consistent moisture. When we have a below normal, dry summer, you can expect to see a slightly less dynamic fall color.

Yellow leafed Japanese Maples add bright pots of yellow to the fall landscape.

2. Average to late freeze.

The average first freeze in central Oklahoma occurs during the first few days of November. Some areas of the metro experienced an early light freeze on October 16th, but for most of the area, and officially, we have not had a freeze yet this year. When it comes to the first fall freeze, the best fall color occurs when the first freeze comes late, and it is a light freeze.

3. Cool fall nights with plenty of sunshine.

The more average cool fall nights, nights above freezing, the better the fall color. Also, the more sunny days versus cloudy days, the more dynamic the colors will be.

4. Low winds.

Once the leaves make the change to brilliant yellows, oranges and reds, the last thing we want is a gusty day stripping the trees. Once leaves start to turn, low to no wind days will extend the color.

Based on these four elements, I would say we are experiencing a late and less than average fall color display this year. The biggest impact on fall color this year was the dry late summer and fall.

Typically, peak fall color for central Oklahoma starts the last week of October and extends through the first two weeks of November.

This year, peak fall color is happening now, in mid-November.

What is your favorite fall tree or shrub?

What is mine? Any and all! Everyday I have a new favorite.

Here are a few that I always look forward to seeing in the fall landscape:

Autumn Blaze Maple. This was the first bright red tree I saw this fall.

Autumn Blaze Maple – One of the first trees to start the show with bright orange to red foliage. I’m sure you have noticed them. Often the heat of late summer will leave Maples with tattered leaves and less fall color, which is the case this year. Maples do best when they have protection from late evening, radiant heat. This explains why you will find some of the brightest reds on maples are on the trees planted amongst other large trees.

Chinese Pistache – A round top, medium sized tree, with incredible colors of yellow, orange, and red in the fall. The best Chinese Pistache are so electric you would think they are plugged in. The only downside to a Chinese Pistache is inconsistency. Not everyone will have dynamic color. We have one in our front lawn, the color is good, but not as brilliant as others. The Oklahoma City National Memorial has several large and colorful Chinese Pistache.

Bald Cypress – Known for being the only deciduous needle tree, bald cypress has a brilliant rusty red color in the fall. It is a large tree, too large for the typical city sized yard, but if you have a large area, it will not disappoint in the fall. We have one planted near the water, and we can count on it consistently putting on a good fall show. There is something about how the late evening sun hits the color changing foliage in the fall that causes me to pause for a minute and stare every evening.

Lacebark Elm – A large tree with mottled bark that is not as disease and pest prone as the traditional elms. You can expect bright yellow leaves for the fall. A favorite variety is the Allee with its vase shape.

October Glory Maple – Another large Maple like the Autumn Blaze in growth and fall color. One difference is the October Glory’s peak color usually comes a couple of weeks later than the Autumn Blaze. While Autumn Blaze is one of the first trees to turn red in the fall, October Glory is one of the last. Maybe every landscape should have one of each.

Shantung Maple – A smaller, 20-25’ Maple with yellow to orange to red color. This tree is ideal for planting near power lines, in smaller lawns, or as an accent tree in a larger landscape.

I enjoy the view of our neighbor’s maple trees every fall and I’m so thankful they added them to their landscape!

Shumard Oak – There are so many great oaks, but this is my favorite. A large, 50-75’ tree with good red fall color. One advantage to the Shumard Oak is it’s more tolerant of our alkaline soils.

Redbud – A smaller tree, famous for being one of the first to flower in the spring, but often overlooked for its bright yellow fall color. The native Eastern Redbud has better fall color than the improved Oklahoma Redbud but can disappoint if the summer has left the leaves tattered.

Ginkgo – An underused, 40-60’ tree that does very well in street plantings. The Ginkgo has a distinct, fan shaped, irregularly notched leaf that could lay claim to the best yellow fall color.

Slender Sihouette Sweetgum is columnar shaped and great for tight spaces and crest a wonderful vertical accent.

Sweet Gum – If it weren’t for the spiny, 1-1.5” seed balls that litter a lawn, this tree would be on every landscape enthusiast’s wish list. When you see a sweetgum in the fall, it immediately gets your attention because of the multicolored leaves. The star-shaped leaves turn shades of yellow, orange, red, and purple often persisting late into the fall. The tree performs well in both wet and dry soils and reaches 50-60’. The Slender Silhouette variety is a columnar shaped Sweetgum that reaches 40-50’ but is only 4’ wide. It is great for tight spaces, small gardens, and anyplace you want to create a striking vertical accent. Just like the full-sized tree, it is common for there to be several rich colors on the same tree.

This allee of single trunk Crape Myrtles at the Myriad Gardens is a great example of the fall color Crape Myrtles add to the landscape when we allow them grow to their natural size as trees instead of excessively pruning them every spring into large shrubs.

Ash – Marshall’s Seedless Ash is a proven variety with dark green foliage and bright yellow fall color. Ash is known for its tolerance of hot, dry winds and both wet and dry soils, making them well suited for our climate.

Crape Myrtles – Our longest blooming landscape plant is too often overlooked for the orange to red fall colors it brings to the landscape. Incorrectly, Crape Myrtle are pruned into large shrubs, and we rarely get to experience their splendor in the fall as a tree. When allowed to grow naturally, you find their addition to the fall landscape stunning.

A Dogwood growing in a native area in eastern Oklahoma.

Dogwoods – A rarely planted tree in central Oklahoma that makes a great understory tree in shady areas with dark red fall color. If you have mature trees in your landscape, consider adding a dogwood as an accent. The Tulsa area is blessed with an abundance of fall color from dogwoods.

Euonymus Burning Bush – A medium to large shrub with bright red fall color. Like the Chinese Pistache, they can be inconsistent. Also known as, Winged Euonymus. When it is over pruned, it doesn’t reach its full potential. When it is left to grow to its natural shape and height, and it has received sufficient moisture through the summer, the fall color is intense and more consistent than any other plant. It is a great planted as a single specimen, in a grouping or as a natural hedge. For smaller landscapes, plant the ‘Compactus’ variety.

Oakleaf Hydrangea are know for their white flowers in early summer, but with their large burgundy colored leaves also put on a great fall show.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas are often overlooked for their rich red fall color.

Oakleaf Hydrangea - One of the most underutilized, showy plants available. Known for magnificent white flowers in the early summer, but it is often overlooked for the rich burgundy color of the large, lobed leaves in the fall. It prefers moist, rich, well-drained soil and best planted in shade to partial shade.

Ornamental grasses can also add brilliant colors to the fall landscape. One of my favorites is Pink Muhly.

Pink Muhly Grass - An upright, slightly arching ornamental grass that produces a soft, airy pink to purple bloom in late September to early November. Great planted as a single specimen or as a mass planting.

Autumn Sage - A showy perennial that adds prolific hot pink color to the fall landscape. Great for hot, sunny locations.

There are several varieties of Sumac each with their own dynamic fall color.

Sumac - Used as a large shrub or a specimen small tree with great tolerance for dry, poor soils. Sumac has a bright red fall color. It is best known for the bright red color it adds to the native landscape, but it deserves to be planted in more landscapes as an understory.

Did you notice the list of great fall color includes more than trees?

Don’t overlook all the color shrubs, vines and perennials that can add to your fall landscape.

Oh, the Colors of Fall!

Typically, peak fall color for central Oklahoma starts the last week of October and extends through the first two weeks of November.

This year, peak fall color is happening now, in mid-November.

Get outside!

Maybe you will find a tree or shrub you need to add to your landscape!