The fall season and weather is coming up soon in California. With local schools being back in session for a few weeks now, and football season already starting, it feels like fall already! The change in the weather is also helping us feel the season change. It's getting colder and more beautiful outside, and now we can enjoy it again. Soon enough, our landscapes will be changing and transitioning into fall and showing off some spectacular fall colors along the process.
Many of our trees at Moon Valley Nurseries have the outstanding fall reds, purples, yellows, and oranges that we have come to expect and love this time of year. Fall is the best time to plant trees, and these fall-color trees would be perfect and just in time to WOW your neighbors all season long.
A popular choice when landscaping your yard in the Nevada desert is the Raywood Ash tree. It is known for its extraordinary display of dark red to deep reddish-purple foliage in the fall that gives any landscape that classic seasonal look. The leaves of the Raywood Ash drop off soon after the fall season, allowing for easy clean up just once a year.
During the summer, the Raywood Ash offers a much-needed service by adding shade to your yard! When the leaves come back in the spring, it becomes the perfect shade tree again, especially once they mature to their full height. The Raywood produces darker foliage than most trees, which makes it stand out in landscapes and makes a great statement tree for the design.
One of the best plant options for striking bursts of color throughout your yard is the Crape Myrtle tree. This tree blooms from the spring through the fall months and is a perfect addition to any yard, parks, and other properties. In the fall, the Crape Myrtle tree produces exquisite flowers that bloom brightly in many colors such as pink, purple, red, and white.
The Crape Myrtle can be planted nearly anywhere because it stays small-to-medium in size. They look lovely when they are planted in clusters and rows or as an accent tree full of color that will pop against green foliage or deciduous trees that share the landscape. For ultimate blooming potential, we recommend pruning in the winter while the tree is dormant.
The Chinese Pistache tree is an incredible medium-sized tree that can be used in many ways. Due to its size and shade potential, it’s common to plant Chinese Pistache trees in rows for mass shade coverage and to create some privacy, or as a focal point in the back or front yard!
Because it’s a deciduous tree, it lets the sun through the foliage in the winter and offers a clean, dark-green umbrella-shaped canopy that can create massive shade in the summer. In the fall, the Chinese Pistache can add beautiful festive color when the leaves turn to luminous orange, red, and even yellow. This is a perfect tree for the Nevada desert for its resistance to drought and low-to-moderate water usage.
The Flowering Pear tree might seem like an odd choice for fall colors, but it will definitely add color to your landscape! This moderate-to-fast growing tree produces bright white flowers from winter to spring, creating a huge contrast to any evergreen plant materials or deciduous trees in the same area.
The Flowering Pear is easy to care for and can be pruned to fit your needs or grown out naturally to add more shade to your yard. With leaves that turn from dark green to vibrant purplish-red coloring in the fall, it also helps guide you into the changing of the seasons. Ask our nursery professional about the different varieties we carry, and which ones would be best for your home.
The Chinese Flame tree is show-stopping deciduous tree that can offer shade to small yards and patios or be used a beautiful accent tree among other landscape material. With its beautiful summertime bloom of vibrant yellow, fragrant flowers and long papery husks that resemble Chinese lanterns that appear in the fall, this tree can brighten up any yard with natural curb appeal!
The Chinese Flame loves full sun all day and is easy to grow in California regions. Once established, it can handle to low-to-moderate watering sessions. This tree is full of interesting colors and texture, making it an excellent companion to other colorful trees such as the ones on this list.
Find a Moon Valley Nurseries location near you to see the best fall trees for your region. Our nursery professionals are always ready to start designing yards and achieving our customers' goals.