Fall Color in the Mountains – Thanks, Native Plants

Scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea)

Fall color is a beautiful time of year in North Georgia and we are fortunate to have it last a number of weeks thanks to each group of plants taking their turn. 

First come the red maples (Acer rubrum), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), and sumacs (Rhus spp.). The maples are abundant and not always appreciated for the role they play in our fall color. I love to photograph lakes this time of year when the red maples that line the shore have their color reflected in the water’s edge. 

Sassafras’s bright orange and reddish hues are too few seen these days as they are not often planted and natural populations fall to development. Sumacs are bright flags of color along dry roadsides, also not appreciated at all for their landscape potential.

The following photo is from my friend Bruce Roberts; this photo was taken several weeks ago in North Carolina; the bright orange/red spots are most likely maples and sassafras.

Doe Knob from Riley Cove (NC); Photo by Bruce Roberts

The next wave of color in my area comes from hickory (Carya spp., except for pecan which has not much fall color), sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), and American beech (Fagus grandifolia), three more underappreciated trees for new landscapes. Why reach for zelkova and pistache – imported trees more often selected – when these beauties can light up your landscape in more beneficial ways?

The fall color show finishes up with an array of black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) and native oaks (Quercus spp.). The abundance of our native oaks is revealed as their tall, broad crowns paint the remaining leafy landscape with deep reds and lustrous browns throughout the natural landscape. The oak photo at the start of this post is from yesterday at Vogel State Park. The oaks are providing much of the color there now.

Vogel State Park Nov 11, 2023

As you travel through the backroads and up to the mountains of North Georgia to appreciate the fall color, know this: these are native plants putting on this magnificent show. They deserve to be in our designed landscapes. Here are some previous blogs to provide inspiration and suggestions.

Dependable Fall Color

The Fall Color Compilation (which has a lot of links)

Don’t have room for more trees? Try my fall shrub recommendations.