THE LEAFLET

If the drop in temperature didn’t make it clear enough, Summer is officially over! As the beautiful trees all over our city are beginning to shift into their autumnal attire of reds and oranges, our team at Casey Trees has updated and mapped the location of fall colored trees throughout the District. While our foresters predict peak colors to show around mid to late October, our Fall Showstoppers of DC Map is a great resource in knowing where to find all your favorite trees this season! This map highlights the five showstopper fall color trees, as well as trees with significant fall color that we and/or the Urban Forestry Division of DDOT have planted. 

Black Gum 

With small purple fruit, brilliant fall colors and not to mention honey, the black gum aka black tupelo is quite a sight. Keep an eye out for its simple and oval-shaped leaves that turn vibrant red in early autumn, before most other tree species. The fruit also blossoms when the leaves are changing colors, which is another signifier.  This tree is available through our residential planting program, RiverSmart Homes. You can also get up to $100 back for planting this tree yourself through our tree rebate program. 

Sweetgum 

The American sweetgum—with its star-shaped leaves, neatly compact crown, interesting fruit and twigs with unique corky growths called wings—is an attractive shade tree. It puts on quite a show in the fall as the glossy green leaves turn beautiful shades of yellow, orange, red and purple. You can get up to $100 back for planting this tree yourself through our tree rebate program. 

Red Maple 

The red maple is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. Like its name, the Red Maple turns a vibrant shade of red in the fall. This tree also produces small, beautiful flowers in the spring before its leaves and is known for its ability to withstand challenging soil conditions and their seeds which fall “helicopter-like” to the ground. This tree is available through our residential planting program, RiverSmart Homes. You can also get up to $100 back for planting this tree yourself through our tree rebate program. 

American Linden 

The American linden, also known as “basswood,” is a stately shade tree with delicate pea-shaped fruits hanging from wing-shaped bracts. It is a summer-blooming tree with small white flowers, and bold, heart-shaped leaves that turn golden yellow in autumn. Linden trees line Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue – D.C.’s historic linden corridor. This tree is available through our residential planting program, RiverSmart Homes. You can also get up to $100 back for planting this tree yourself through our tree rebate program. 

Ginkgo  

With its instantly recognizable fan shaped leaves, look for shocks of yellow from the recognizable Ginkgo! A throwback to prehistoric times, this is a beautiful shade tree with unique fan-shaped leaves that turn a beautiful yellow in fall, and distinctly furrowed corky bark that is gray-white in color. This tough urban tree is able to withstand varied conditions and stresses. Only plant males to avoid the unpleasant smells associated with rotting fruits. You can get up to $50 back for planting this tree through our tree rebate program.