The Arboretum’s gardens, collections, and natural areas continue their vibrant fall color display despite the recent wind and cold temperatures. Everywhere you visit on the grounds, you can find plants displaying shades of yellow, orange, and red. The maple, China, and Midwest collections and the East Woods are definitely worth visiting.

In the parking lots at the Visitor Center (Parking Lot 1) and the Thornhill Education Center (Parking Lot 21), Freeman maples are deep red, while redbuds, Miyabe maples, crabapples, bottlebrush buckeyes, and tree lilacs are yellow. In the tree collections around the Arboretum, vibrant yellows show on hickories, walnuts, cottonwoods, elms, lindens, and catalpas. The few remaining white ashes are purple. In sunny locations, red can be seen on sumacs, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy. 

For especially varied color displays, visit the Maple Collection (Parking Lot 14), the China Collection and Sumac Collection (near parking lots 17 and 18), and the Midwest Collection (near parking lots 2 and 5). In the Arboretum’s woodlands, the leaves of sugar maples have orange to red leaves. Yellows are showing on elm, ironwood, bitternut, linden, and walnut trees. Excellent color may also be seen in the East Woods between parking lots 8 and 15. East Side Main Trail Loop 4 (parking lots 8 and 12) is especially colorful, with sugar maples showing yellow, orange, and red.

On the West Side, the gardens and grounds near the Thornhill Education Center (Parking Lot 21) are in full fall colors. Lake Marmo (Parking Lot 27, on the West Side alternate route) is the spot to see West Side sugar maples, witch-hazels, catalpas, and Freeman maples in colors of yellows to orange and red. In the Schulenberg Prairie (Parking Lot 25), grasses are in full fall colors of gold, with late-blooming asters adding highlights of purple.  

Of special interest are the colorful seasonal containers and flower beds around the Visitor Center, Arbor Court, and The Gerard T. Donnelly Grand Garden. Visit often! The colors will be changing daily as the season continues.

The Fall Color Report is written by the Arboretum’s Manager of Plant Records, Ed Hedborn. It is typically published on Fridays through Autumn to give members and guests a chance to plan their weekend visits. The Arboretum also publishes a weekly Bloom Report in springtime.