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Published March 26, 2019
Fall leaves in Tennessee are everything!
From about mid-October to mid-November the rolling hills of Tennessee become saturated with all the warm tones of Fall. From deep red's to brilliant oranges the gorgeous leaves can be seen for miles.
If you are a current resident of Tennessee you may be wondering what type of trees these are and how can you create this brilliant spectacle of colors in your own back yard. Below are just a few of the indigenous trees to east Tennessee that produce beautiful Fall colors.
"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, Fluttering from the autumn tree..." -Emily Bronte
Maple
(Acer rubrum or Acer tataricum)
Planting times: Early Spring OR Autumn or early winter!
**There’s less chance of drought or sun scorch harming fragile, newly-planted trees in Autumn and early winter. Plus, the cooler temperatures help encourage new root growth.
Planting Pros: Small maples can reach 30 ft while larger maples reach 60 ft tall.
Maples thrive in moist soil and East Tennessee's tropical weather is perfect for maple trees.
Bright yellows, deep reds, brilliant oranges, maples can provide many beautiful colors for your yard.
Planting Cons: Susceptible to low iron levels in the soil. Sensitive to ph level in the soil as well. Extra care must be taken to treating for insects that feed on the trees and the soil composition.
Scarlet Oak
(Quercus coccinea)
Planting Times: Fall or Spring
Planting Pros: The scarlet oak is an important food source for many wild animals. You would attract anything from small animals like squirrels to chipmunks to larger animals like white-tailed deer to your yard! The scarlet oak also grows pretty quickly within the first 5 years of being planted.
Planting Cons: Scarlet oak trees can be susceptible to a variety of insects like the egg-laying gouty oak gall wasp. Nothing care can't prevent but something to consider nonetheless.
Sweetgum
(Liquidamber styraciflua)
Planting Times: Spring or Fall
Planting Pros: The Sweetgum flourishes in moist clay like soil. Sweetgums grow quickly when seeded properly.
Planting Cons: Sweetgums produce a spiky pod full of seeds, making barefoot play painful near these trees. Although Sweetgums grow quickly then tend to take over an area and squeeze out other vegetation.
