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Arundel Arboretum continues to be transformed into a spectacle of vibrant autumn colours as our deciduous trees continue their journey into their dormant winter months.  We have a superb selection of deciduous trees in stock.  If you are looking to plant a tree with specific autumn interest now is the time to visit Arundel Arboretum.  Our trees are displaying vibrant reds, fiery oranges and buttery yellows.  You will be able to see the trees in all of their autumn glory and decide on the best tree for your garden.  Our knowledgeable team will be able to offer you excellent advice to ensure you purchase the right tree for your conditions. To help get you started on what tree to choose, here are five that are currently looking particularly good: Quercus rubra (Red Oak\American Red Oak) Quercus rubra is also known as the Red Oak or American Red Oak. Quercus rubra is a fast growing, broad-headed large deciduous tree. It has an open, spreading crown with leaves that can grow in excess of 20cm. Its large green leaves turn a ruby-red then brown in the autumn. Quercus rubra produces insignificant green flowers in the spring. It can be planted in full sun or partial shade, in a sheltered or exposed position. Quercus rubra has an eventual height of 12m and a spread of 8m. Betula pendula (Silver Birch) Betula pendula is a native deciduous tree, and can be either a multi-stem or single trunk tree. It has a soft, gentle weeping habit with arching branches. Its diamond-shaped fresh green leaves turn a delicate yellow in the autumn. Betula pendula has a maximum height of between 7-12m, so does require plenty of space to grow. It can tolerate most soils, but does not like coastal or dry positions. Betula pendula has attractive, creamy-white peeling bark, which becomes marked with dark rugged cracks at the base with age. Yellow-brown catkins are produced in the spring. Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ is a large deciduous tree, with erect main branches.  Dark green, lobed leaves appear in spring, which turn a fantastic brilliant crimson in the autumn. Crimson flowers appear in spring on its bare branches. This variety of Acer has an eventual height of 12m+.  It can be planted in full sun or partial shade in a sheltered position.  If you have the space and are looking for impressive red in the autumn, then this is a tree worthy of consideration. Acer platanoides ‘Princeton Gold’ Acer platanoides ‘Princeton Gold’ is a medium sized deciduous tree.  It produces clusters of small yellow flowers in the spring. These are followed by bright striking golden yellow leaves in spring and summer.  Later in the year, it will produce seeds. It is a resilient, hardy tree. Its autumn colours are looking particularly impressive now. It can tolerate most soil types and can cope with pollution. Amelanchier canadensis (Shadbush) Amelanchier canadensis is a small deciduous tree, which can also be grown as a large shrub. It produces masses of white flowers in spring. These are followed by green-red fruits, which eventually turn black. This is an excellent tree for birds. The mid-green leaves turn yellow\red\orange in the autumn. Amelanchier canadensis prefers a well-drained soil.

Here at Arundel Arboretum, we continue to be transformed into a spectacle of vibrant autumn colours. However, some people do get concerned that the stunning leaves start to show signs of ill health with leaf blotches and sometimes mildew attack. This is absolutely nothing to worry about! As we move further into autumn and winter, trees naturally reduce their defences and can, therefore, be more prone to a fungal attack. Just remember that deciduous trees’ leaves naturally deteriorate so all is well! It is the bacterial breakdown in the leaves that create compost. If you are looking to plant a deciduous tree in your garden, why not pop along to see what we have? You will be able to see your chosen tree in all its autumnal glory! There is a large variety of deciduous autumn trees to choose from. Here is a small selection to get you started:- Acer griseum / Paperbark Maple This is one of our absolute favourites! Acer griseum is a simply stunning, small, slow growing deciduous tree that produces paper-thin curls of cinnamon bark on the trunk and main branches. These will become translucent in the light. The leaves turn a stunning red-orange in the autumn. Acer griseum has an eventual height of 8-12m and spread of 4-8m. Acer griseum prefers a sheltered position and moist, well-drained soil. Sorbus commixta / Japanese Rowan Sorbus commixta is a broadly conical tree with divided dark green leaves, which turn yellow to red or purple in the autumn. It has clusters of white flowers in the late spring. These are followed by orange-red to red berries. It should be planted in a moist, well-drained soil. It has an eventual height of 8-12m and a spread of 4-8m. Sorbus commixta can be planted in full sun or partial shade, in a sheltered or exposed position. Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ is a large deciduous tree originating from North America. It’s noted for its vibrant, stunning autumn colour. The dark green foliage in spring and summer is followed by shades of scarlet red, orange and yellow leaves in the autumn. This Acer has an eventual height of 12m+ and a spread of 8m+. Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ will grow on most soils and will prefer a sunny or partial shade position. Plant in a moist, well-drained soil. Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ is a compact, deciduous weeping tree. Pink flowers appear in the spring. These are followed by heart-shaped dark red leaves, which turn purple in the summer. Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ has stunning autumn colours and has an eventual height and spread of up to 3m. A slow growing tree that will be happy in full sun or dappled shade. Plant in a well-drained soil. Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ is a small, deciduous tree with superb autumn colour, when the leaves turn red, orange and purple. White flowers appear in spring, which is followed by creamy-yellow berries that turn amber-yellow. Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ can be planted in full sun or partial shade, in a sheltered or exposed position. With an eventual height of 8-12m and a spread of 4-8m, it should be planted in a moist, well-drained soil. We have a good selection of autumn trees, which will enhance your garden. We look forward to seeing you, where our helpful staff will be able to assist in the right autumn trees for you.

As we move further into autumn, Arundel Arboretum is changing day by day. The leaves on our trees and shrubs have begun to display their spectacular autumn foliage. In autumn, many trees and shrubs come into their own with flowers, fiery foliage or brightly coloured berries. If you’re looking for plants that have beautiful autumn colours, now is the time to purchase them as you can see exactly what colours they are and how it will complement your existing trees and shrubs. Autumn and winter are good seasons to plant too as they’ll require less maintenance. The plants will settle over the winter months, so there’s no need for watering once the weather is consistently cold. We have so many impressive autumn plants, it is difficult to know what to recommend! However, to help you decide, here is a small selection you could consider:- Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ is a spreading, deciduous small shrub. Over time, the branches develop corky ridges. The green leaves turn a striking rosy-red in the autumn, with small green flowers which are followed by red-purple fruits that contain orange seeds. Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ can be grown in full sun or partial shade, in an exposed or sheltered position. It has an eventual height of 0.5-1m and a spread of 1-1.5m and should be planted in a moist, well-drained soil. Leucothoe walteri ‘Zeblid’ Leucothoe walteri ‘Zeblid’ is a dwarf evergreen shrub. Their leaves are glossy when they first emerge, becoming dark green during the summer months. In the autumn and winter, they transform into a spectacular ruby red. Leucothoe walteri ‘Zeblid’ has small white flowers that appear in the spring. They like a moist spot and full sun to enhance their colours to full effect, but they can tolerate light shade. Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ is a compact, evergreen shrub. Its leaves are yellow-green during the summer, that turn orange and red in the autumn and winter. Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ produces small white flowers in the summer. Nandina domestica ‘Firepower’ thrives in well-drained, fertile soil and to get the best autumn colours, prefers full sun and being sheltered from the cold. Nandina domestica Nandina domestica is an elegant, small evergreen shrub. It has an upright, bamboo-like habit. The leaves are purplish-red in the spring, turning green before turning back to purplish-red in the autumn. Small clusters of white flowers emerge during the summer. These are followed by red berries during the winter. Nandina domestica can be planted in full sun in a sheltered position. With an eventual height and spread of 1-1.5m, it should be planted in a moist, well-drained soil. Viburnum tinus ‘Spirit’ Viburnum tinus ‘Spirit’ is a bushy, rounded evergreen shrub. From approximately November to May, small clusters of pink buds open into small, slightly scented white flowers. These emerge into blue-black berries in the summer. Its green, glossy leaves look good all year round. Viburnum tinus ‘Spirit’ can be grown in full sun or partial shade, in a moist, well drained soil. It has an eventual height and spread of 2m. We would highly recommend a visit to Arundel Arboretum so that you can see our extensive range of autumn plants displaying their fantastic autumn colours. Our staff are always on hand to advise and suggest the suitable autumn plants for your garden.  

We are now at the beginning of October, and the mature deciduous trees at Arundel Arboretum are really getting into their splendid autumn colours now. Autumn is always a beautiful sight of so many leaf colours – reds, yellows and oranges. We have a large variety of mature trees for sale on the nursery at the moment – a few examples include Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Platanus acerfolia, Catalpa biganoides, Betula varieties and Sorbus aucuparia varieties. The Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Worplesdon’ always looks stunning and are starting to show their autumn colours along with Parrotia persica – the Persian Ironwood tree. Its green leaves turn crimson to gold in the autumn, which is followed by tiny clusters of crimson flowers during the winter. Mature trees can create a magnificent focal point to a garden as well as providing privacy and shade. Many people use deciduous trees for screenage if privacy is not an issue in their garden during the winter months. A visit to Arundel Arboretum to see our range of mature trees for sale in their splendid autumn colour is well worth it. We would be very happy to advise and recommend a suitable mature tree for your garden.