Best Trees For Brilliant Fall Colors in Cincinnati

Cincinnati is home to many native and introduced trees that display beautiful fall colors every year. When deciding what trees to bring into your landscape, it is a good thing to consider what your trees will look like throughout the entire year.

Fall is the best time to plant new trees thanks to the warm soil from summer and the cooler air putting less stress on young trees. With fall right around the corner, here is a look at 6 trees that thrive in Cincinnati with brilliant fall colors!

Red Maple

The red maple is a fast-growing, deciduous tree native to the entire eastern half of the United States and parts of southern Canada. It is named the "red" maple for its red winter twigs, buds, spring flowers, and its fall foliage, which is typically a bright and brilliant red color.

The red maple is praised for being a wonderful shade and ornamental tree. It is adaptable but requires ample space for its dense root system. At maturity, it grows 40-60 feet high and 35-45 feet wide.

A mature red maple showing the bright red fall foliage

Sugar Maple

Another maple tree that is native to the region is the sugar maple. This tree can be found in forests and meadows throughout Ohio and is native to southern Canada, the greater Midwest, and the northeastern United States. The sugar maple is also a great maple to tap for making maple syrup.

In the fall, the sugar maple has highly variable leaf colors that range from bright yellows, oranges, and deep reds. The tree may go through a sequence of colors from top to bottom as fall progresses. The sugar maple is a large tree; at maturity, in ideal conditions, it can grow up to 80-100 feet high and 40-50 feet wide.

A mature sugar maple with orange fall foliage

Ginkgo

The ginkgo is one of the oldest and most unique trees in the world. It is known as a living fossil, as it has been around for 200 million years, when dinosaurs walked the earth! The ginkgo tree is native to Japan, but it thrives worldwide due to its ability to thrive in urban and suburban areas. Its leaves have a distinct fan-like quality to their shape, and at maturity, the ginkgo grows 25-50 feet high and 25-35 feet wide.

The ginkgo tree is a favorite of our arborists here at Gregory Forrest Lester Inc., and for good reason. Its unique leaf shape, beautiful fall color, and ability to thrive in Cincinnati make it a perfect addition to any landscape in the region.

A mature ginkgo displaying the bright yellow fall foliage

River Birch

The river birch is native to the Atlantic coastal states, southern states, lower Midwest, and the eastern Great Plains. It is the southernmost birch of the United States and grows best alongside bodies of water. This tree is a rapid grower, which provides quick shade, and it can typically grow 50 feet tall and 40 feet wide.

The most striking part of this tree is its peeling bark that sports whites, oranges, and tans all along the tree's trunk and branches. In the fall, a river birch's leaves turn a unique chartreuse or a buttery yellow. The color is more mellow than some of the other trees on this list, which provides a beautiful contrast to the brighter fall colors.

A mature river birch with the chartreuse-yellow leaves in the fall

Flowering Dogwood

The flowering dogwood is a small ornamental tree native to eastern North America. The tree displays beautiful pink or white flowers in the springtime and can be seen in many forests and gardens across Cincinnati.

Dogwoods are beloved for their variety of colors during the spring flowering season and the fall leaf change. During the fall, the leaves can be orange, yellow, burgundy, and red all on the same tree. They are a smaller tree as well, which allows them to fit on smaller properties.

A mature dogwood with its colorful display of fall colors

American Smoke Tree

The American smoke tree is an incredibly unique tree native to the south-central and southeastern United States. This tree, similar to the flowering dogwood, has brilliant colors and appearance through all the seasons. The 'smoke' in its name comes from its flower stalks that elongate, creating billowy, smoky pink and purple clouds around the plant. At maturity, the tree grows to 15-30 feet tall and 15-25 feet wide.

This tree is incredibly hardy and highly drought-tolerant once established. It is praised for its striking standalone accent to any yard. In the fall, the leaves turn a striking scarlet, orange, and purple.

American smoke tree leaves shifting to their fall colors

Looking to Add Some Vibrant Colors to Your Garden This Year?

Look no further than Gregory Forrest Lester, Inc. Here, we offer comprehensive tree planting services with a focus on working with the customer to choose the plants they dream of in their garden. Our arborists and landscapers are well-versed in soil health and the latest landscaping technologies. This expertise ensures that your property gains beauty and value, while preventing expensive long-term issues due to incorrect planting methods.

Call or request an estimate online anytime. Our ISA-trained team is here to help!