Maples, Oaks, and Invasives! Fall Color 2024

The historic dryness finally gave way to some rain on Halloween. About 0.83 inches came down that day give us a good soaking. We still need more rain, and regular rain but it definitely helps. I’ve been concerned about the lack rain and the fall color potential but fortunately some trees have done really well despite the lack of rain. I mentioned some of our fall color the other day but there’s more to come!

The Amazing Maple Fall Color

Maple tree have always been my favorite of the trees. I remember as a kid growing up and my grandfather’s house a row of maple trees he planted. One of them was the perfect climbing tree for a ten year old boy. I’ve had a fondness for them ever since and especially for their fall color. They are great trees for wildlife with the spring flowers for pollinators and the samaras (helicopters as that 10 year boy called them) for the birds to eat.

I’m not sure what type of maple this particular one in our woods is but it is a beautiful orange color. I’ve tried comparing the leaf shape with silver maples, red maples, and sugar maples. I have a feeling it is a natural hybrid of some kind but it closely resembles the sugar and red maple leaf shapes. Maples will freely cross pollinate with each other so natural hybrids are very possible. Sugar maples aren’t extremely common here in Tennessee so it may just be a red maple and the sugar maple thought may be simply wishful thinking.

It is more likely it is a type of maple called a Freeman maple (Acer × freemanii). Freeman maples are a hybrid of a red maple and silver maple. The silver maples are less desirable as they have roots that grow along the surface of the soil which makes it a tripping hazard to the casual gardener/hiker in the woods. Freeman maples have several cultivars that have been developed like the famous Autumn Blaze maple. I put some other cultivars below:

Cultivar Name	Botanical Name	Description
Autumn Blaze	Acer × freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’	Fast-growing with vibrant red fall color, resistant to many pests and diseases.
Celebration	Acer × freemanii ‘Celzam’	Upright form with yellow to orange fall color, known for strong branching.
Firefall	Acer × freemanii ‘Firefall’	Seedless, fast-growing with deep red fall color, drought-tolerant once established.
Sienna Glen	Acer × freemanii ‘Sienna’	Strong, upright form with orange-red fall color, adaptable to various soil types.
Armstrong	Acer × freemanii ‘Armstrong’	Narrow, columnar form with orange to red fall color, suitable for tight spaces.
Marmo	Acer × freemanii ‘Marmo’	Fast-growing with red and yellow mixed fall color, known for tolerance to urban conditions.
Scarlet Sentinel	Acer × freemanii ‘Scarsen’	Columnar habit with brilliant red fall color, resistant to storm damage.

Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)

Oak trees are another native tree that hybridizes very easily within the species. We have several types on our property two of which I believe are the are the Shumard Oak and the Chinquapin Oak. Oak trees have always been tricky for me to identify as so many of their leaves look similar to one another. Many of our Chinquapin oak trees are smaller in size but they are numerous. Squirrels plant them for us and they pop up all over the forest.

There is a lot of competition right now with invasive trees like privet and Tree of Heaven that has to be addressed to help these oak trees out a little. That’s one reason I don’t want to hire someone to come in and clear the privet as they would likely take out the more desirable trees as well. Essentially throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This winter we’ll begin our privet clean out project and in spring tree to remove the Tree of Heaven.

So far the oaks have not changed their colors but that change will begin soon. Oaks can be valuable for wildlife as homes or resources for 100’s of different creatures. They are great native trees to have around. We’ll be doing everything we can to insure that as many oaks can thrive here on our 7 acres.

Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)

Another invasive we have the delite to deal with is the Amur honeysuckle. It’s known as the bush honeysuckle as well and is extremely prolific. It has some beautiful fall berries but they are poisonous to people and dogs. The birds do spread these honeysuckle seeds around and this bush forming honeysuckle will grow thick in the understory of taller trees. Needless to say we’ll be culling a lot of these invasive plants as we try to restore the health of our forest.

Pawpaw Trees

Pawpaw trees (Asimina triloba) are special native trees that provides an edible fruit we can enjoy. I’ve found quite a few growing naturally in many areas of the woods. The fruit of the pawpaw has become quite popular in recent years but is difficult to find anywhere other than farmer’s markets. It has a terrible shelf life and can’t transport well. It’s flavor can vary. The trees we have tend to taste a little like pineapple mixed with mango.

These native pawpaws are a favorite larval food source for the Zebra swallowtail butterfly. In fact that’s how I originally found out that we had pawpaw trees. I found a Zebra swallowtail butterfly then began the hunt to locate the pawpaw trees in the woods!

When young pawpaw trees need shade to grow but can tolerate more sun as they mature. There are several cultivars of pawpaws you can purchase if you can find a grower who raises them. They have rhizomatic root systems and a very deep taproot that can make transplanting a challenge. In the spring when new growth just begins you can dig and relocate and offshoot clone from the pawpaw tree. the easiest way is to propagate pawpaw trees is through seeds. They need some cold stratification but after that will germinate well. Make sure you use a deep pot to grow them in to account for the taproot.