When it comes to fall color, the bright reds, oranges and purples tend to catch the eye and steal the show. But there’s much to be said for the mellow yellows, sexy saffrons, tawny browns and burnished golds of autumn. Their warm tones really pop in the landscape, whether planted in a park, along a city street, or in a home landscape. Many of our finest shade trees sport vibrant yellow fall colors. We present a few of the finest here.
Prairie Gold® Aspen
Populus tremuloides ‘NE-Arb’
The fluttery leaves of Prairie Gold® Aspen are among the first to flaunt their fall colors in autumn as they turn from green to golden yellow. Discovered on the Midwestern prairie, this Nebraska native brings lowland adaptability and disease tolerance to a high elevation favorite. Introduced in cooperation with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, its adaptability to the heat, drought and humidity of the Midwest greatly expands the planting range of this popular species that is typically more at home in the mountains than in lower elevation landscapes. Hardy through USDA Zone 4, it grows to a height and spread of about 40’ x 15’. We offer them in single and multi-trunk forms.
Emerald City® Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera ‘JFS-Oz’
The perfect tree for shading yellow brick roads and hot city streets, this vigorous grower casts shade in a hurry. Glossy, emerald-green foliage turns to bright yellow in autumn. Beautiful tulip-like flowers are a springtime bonus as they appear among the distinctively darker green leaves. A strong central leader, predictably uniform growth habit and relatively compact form are additional attributes that distinguish it from the species and recommend it for landscape use. Height and spread are approximately 55’ x 25’.
American Dream® Oak
Quercus bicolor ‘JFS KW12’ PP 23632
Large, lustrous, deep green leaves are thick and glossy, with wavy margins. After turning buttery yellow in autumn, leaves turn to rich tawny brown and remain on the tree late into the season. This fast-growing tree offers the drought and heat resistance of the species, as well as the ability to thrive on poorly drained sites. It also demonstrates good resistance to anthracnose and mildew – diseases often exhibited by seedling-grown trees.
Upright branch angles and a strong central leader help to develop a broadly pyramidal canopy of good density, even at a young age.
City Sprite® Zelkova
Zelkova serrata ‘JFS-KW1’ PP20996
Urban foresters and utility companies already appreciate the compact, tidy growth habit of this petite tree that’s tailor-made for city streets and tight spaces. Homeowners will find it to be an excellent small shade tree, perfectly scaled for today’s home landscapes.
Short internodes contribute to its compact, dense, and semi-dwarf form, resulting in a perfect little tree for constricted planting sites. Oval to rounded, it grows to a height and spread of approximately 24’ x 18’. Fine textured foliage is brighter green in summer than the leaves of typical Zelkova. Fall color is rich yellow. Storm-resistant branches and a stout, sturdy trunk assure its survival on city streets.
Presidential Gold® Ginkgo
Ginkgo biloba ‘The President’
Fall color doesn’t get much better than this. Outstanding in the nursery row and then in the landscape, this robust selection superior branching and foliage density at a young age. Thanks to its strong central leader and full branching at a young age, it is impressive at a young age. As it matures, it develops a dense upright crown and a broadly pyramidal to oval shape. Fall color of this seedless male selected by Dr. Michael Dirr is bright yellow.
Typical of the species, it thrives in city growing conditions. In general, ginkgoes are tolerant of compacted soils (acid or alkaline) and aren’t bothered much by air pollution, heat or cold, diseases or pests. A bonus is resistance to the browsing of deer, according to the Chicago Botanic Garden Plant Finder.
Greenspire® Linden
Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’
Proven workhorses of the urban forest, Lindens continue to prove themselves as top performers and contributors to the urban canopy, regardless of geography. Spotted in downtown San Francisco, these Greenspire® Lindens deliver burnished yellow fall color along with their many ecosystem services. The standard of comparison among the Lindens, this 1961 introduction of Princeton Nursery is undoubtedly the most widely planted cultivar, and for good reason. It has a strong central leader, very uniform branch arrangement and maintains a symmetrical, pyramidal form as it reaches a height and spread of about 40’ x 30’.
Gardeners! Please note that our nursery is strictly wholesale. To purchase these and other trees grown by our nursery, please use our Retailer Locator to find sources of JFS trees near you.
