Five Trees for Fall Colors in Arizona

The fall season is coming up quick in Arizona.  With local schools being back in session for a few weeks now, and football season already starting, it feels like fall already!  The shift 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.

Design a Festive Landscape

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.

Arizona Ash

Arizona Ash is a deciduous tree that has striking, smooth, bright green leaves and can cover a lot of area in your yard with shade in the summer. Native to Arizona and other southwestern states, this tree loves the sun. While traditionally very green most of the year, the canopy will start to turn into a yellow-golden color in early fall.

It is cold-hardy and heat-resistant, so they are ideal for planting in our desert climate. If you’re looking for a fast-growing shade tree, you’ll love the Arizona Ash tree. We find the Arizona Ash to be very adaptable for all uses such as being planted for shade, which keeps your house cool in the summer but will also keep your home warm in the winter when the leaves drop.

Raywood Ash

A popular choice when landscaping your yard in the Arizona 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.

Crape Myrtle

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.

Shumard Oak

Another awesome fall choice to include in your landscape for ultimate shade is the Shumard Oak Tree. This oak tree is a medium to large sized tree and grows into a canopy with a wide spreading reach, which creates a large area of shade all around it. This tree is a fast-growing species of oak that is very tough and long-living, so it will be part of the family for generations!

This tree is known for its antique look with large dark green leaves that can grow up to eight inches long. Another benefit of having the Shumard Oak is the beautiful vibrant red orange colors that take over the canopy during the fall season that will get you into the holiday festivities!

Flowering Pear

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.

Get Started with your FREE Custom Design at our Nursery

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.