Add Trees for Fall Color in
the Home Landscape

Of all the seasons of the year, autumn probably ranks as my favorite.   Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love spring and the time when many of the flowers and plants are blooming.  But there is just something quite special and beautiful seeing the trees and landscape display its wide array of fall colors.   A walk along trail in the woods or a drive along a scenic parkway, in my opinion, is the best way to see and appreciate the fall color of trees and other plants.  Most people consider the best and most impressive fall color to be a view of an entire hillside or valley, but I tend to notice the lone individual tree that is most unique and brilliant with color.  The fun part then is determining what species of tree it is so I can get one just like it for my home landscape.

Although temperature and moisture affects and limits the time and degree of fall color in Alabama, there are still ways to have it.  In some cases, adding trees with proven fall color around the home landscape is a sure way to achieve this.  Many of our native trees provide excellent color; the best ones are hickory, scarlet oak, white oak, sourwood, black gum, dogwood, yellow poplar, American beech, sassafras, and red maple.  Even weedy sweetgum provides very nice purple to maroon fall color.  Sugar maple is the king of fall color but does not always turn yellow or orange consistently in central Alabama like it does further north.  Newer named varieties of red maples and sugar maples found in local plant nurseries have helped overcome much of this problem.

Other ornamental trees that have great fall color and are indeed worthy to be planted in the home landscape are crapemyrtle, ginkgo, Japanese maple, Bradford pear, willow oak, Shumard oak, and crabapple.   Evergreen trees such as pine, cedar, and holly also have their place in the landscape since they provide the color green year round and help accent the fall colors of other trees.  

If you see a tree with beautiful fall color that you really like, chances are you can have one just like it in your yard.  Fall is the best time for planting trees too. Enjoy the fall colors before they fall and fade away.

Dying Pines & Pine Beetles

A lot of pine trees have died over the summer and fall.  Many have died due to pine beetle infestations.  However, beetle outbreaks are generally associated with increasing tree stress.  Several factors have combined over the past two years in central Alabama to increase pine tree stress.  First, the most widespread impact has been high winds from hurricanes and storms, which have defoliated and reduced tree canopy. More significantly, often high winds rock trees damaging root systems and often severing the smaller feeder roots trees depend on for water absorption.

A second factor has been the recent drought, which has caused trees with hurricane damaged root systems, to become increasingly stressed.  By some estimates, mature trees can lose up to 300 gallons of water per day from transpiration.  As the summer drought lingered and high temperatures persisted, trees became increasingly susceptible to pine bark beetle infestations. 

Site disturbance can also increase tree stress.  Construction in and around trees often damage the roots or trunks of trees.  Soil compaction (paving around trees or parking heavy equipment and materials under trees), root suffocation (placing a layer of soil over root systems will reduce airflow to roots), and physical injury (removing roots within the drip line or damaging the main stem) can greatly increase tree stress.  Additionally, trees with physical injuries above ground such as lightning strikes or exposed wood attract pine bark beetles, thereby increasing the risk of infestation and mortality.

In most cases, it’s too late to save a tree by the time pine needles have turned bright rusty red.  Unfortunately, it is often at this point that many people begin to notice that their pine has a problem.  Often by the time needles have turned red, the beetles have moved to neighboring trees.  To prevent further beetle development, it is important to detected bark beetles while trees are still green.

To attempt and save an infested tree, it is essential that the problem be identified as early as possible.  Make regular inspections by looking for the white pitch tubes up and down the stem of your trees.  More importantly, homeowners must take all necessary measures to help reduce the chances of beetles spreading to adjacent trees in their yards by limiting all stress on trees. Protective sprays for pine tree are available and may help prevent some future attacks but will do no good if additional stress occurs.  

For more information, contact the Tallapoosa County Extension Office at 256-825-1050 or visit us online at www.aces.edu/Tallapoosa.