Fall Foliage of Smithsonian Gardens

Flowering Crabapple cultivar

Flowering crabapples ( Malus 'Donald Wyman' ) are interesting for more than just their yellow leaves in the fall - they also have ornamental fruit! With a name like "apple," it might be tempting to try one of these tiny fruits, but we recommend leaving them for the birds. Their taste could leave anyone feeling crabby.

Sugar Maple

Sugar maples ( Acer saccharum ) are notorious for their beautiful fall color. With leaves that go from yellow, to orange, to red, they look like a flaming beauty on the fall landscape. Truly, a sugar maple in the fall is hard to miss.

Honey Locust variety

Honey locusts ( Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ) have compound leaves; multiple leaflets which make up a larger leaf. Perhaps it is all these small leaflets which make the tree look as densely golden as the honey it is named for in the fall.

Japanese Maple cultivar

Japanese maples have been heavily cultivated for all sorts of ornamental traits for centuries. This Japanese maple cultivar ( Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' ) is truly a beauty of its group. In mild falls, it turns an interesting shade of yellow, but in good conditions, it bursts into oranges and reds.

Ginkgo

Ginkgo trees ( Ginkgo biloba ) have a unique fall habit. Most deciduous trees slowly lose their leaves over the course of fall, falling to the ground a few at a time. Ginkgos gradually reach a brilliant golden color, holding all their leaves tight, and then drop them all at once. This is still beautiful, as after the leaves drop, a golden circle of leaves surrounds the tree.

Silverbell Tree variety

Although best known for its white flowers in the spring, the silverbell tree ( Halesia monticola var. vestita ) also has nice, yellow fall foliage. This tree is one of several lining a walkway in the Enid A. Haupt Garden, creating a pretty effect.

Japanese Zelkova

The Japanese zelkova ( Zelkova serrata ) is a common street tree and, serendipitously, a beautiful tree in fall. Its serrated, feathery leaves can turn yellow, orange, or a fiery red depending on weather conditions. This zelkova on the Freer Gallery Landscape is a vivid burst of color in the gardens.

Black Tupelo

An interesting forest tree that might not be as familiar to urban and suburban dwellers, the black tupelo ( Nyssa sylvatica ) has lovely fall foliage. This black tupelo stands on the south side of the Pollinator Garden, marking the entrance to a more wild place.

Prickly Ash

"Covered in thorns" is perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of beautiful fall trees, but the prickly ash ( Zanthoxylum americanum ) is just that! Not an actual ash, the prickly ash is an interesting native tree with yellow fall foliage, thorn-covered bark, and a long tradition of medicinal use.

American Elm

This American elm ( Ulmus americana ) on the National Museum of Natural History Landscape is the oldest tree in our collection at over a hundred and seventy years old. Before the arrival of Dutch Elm Disease, elms could easily live to 300 years old. Now, our elm may be one of the oldest around. Despite its age, it still puts on a fantastic fall show!

Sweetgum cultivar

The roundleaf sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua 'Rotundiloba' ) turns a brilliant orange in the fall. This cultivar is bred to have rounded leaf tips, and lack fruit - although we still seem to find a few spiky sweetgum balls each fall!

Red Oak

The red oak ( Quercus rubra ) is a majestic northern oak with a strong trunk and nice form. It has some of the best fall color of the oaks in our collection, with leaves that turn deep red. This one is located on the National Museum of American History Landscape among many other oaks, making for a lovely walk.

Pin Oak

The pin oak ( Quercus palustris ) is the most commonly planted oak in its native range, and fortunately for fall enthusiasts, also turns a nice red-bronze as the weather cools. Part of the red oak section, it is easy to confuse pin oaks and red oaks. This pin oak is also located on our landscape of oaks, the National Museum of American History Landscape.

Crape Myrtle cultivar

This crape myrtle cultivar ( Lagerstroemia indica 'Sioux' ) was developed nearby Smithsonian Gardens at the National Arboretum in the flower-powered '60s. Puffy, pink clusters of flowers decorate its branches in the summer, but once fall rolls around its leaves turn warm shades of orange and red. Even though crape myrtles are common trees, we still think they're pretty groovy.

Scarlet Oak

The scarlet oak ( Quercus coccinea ) is DC's "state" tree, and a beautiful addition to the National Museum of African American History and Culture Landscape. Scarlet oaks are planted for shade, and their rich, red fall color. Although native to the US, it is also planted in Europe as an ornamental tree, its beauty is so highly appreciated there.