Autumn trees for your garden: best native trees for seasonal colour

Autumn is one of the best times to plant trees. The cooler temperatures reduce the loss of water while wetter weather keeps the soil moist. There are also fewer insects and weeds around, giving saplings and shrubs a head start. And because trees are heading into their dormant season, they'll be best placed to establish roots before they start growing again in spring.

Here's our pick of 11 of the best UK native trees suitable for smaller spaces. They'll give you a splash of seasonal colour, from fiery foliage to bright, bold berries.

Aspen (Populus tremula)

Also known as quaking aspen, its pretty, rounded leaves shimmer and tremble in even the most gentle of breezes. In autumn they turn from bronze to bright yellow or sometimes red. This fast-growing tree often grows suckers (shoots around the base of the tree) which should be pruned off.

Plant an aspen tree in your garden and enjoy its shimmering leaves. Buy an aspen from our shop.

Common beech (Fagus sylvatica)

A magnificent tree and one of the best for autumn colour. Its wavy-edged leaves turn a crisp, coppery-bronze and hang on to the tree throughout winter until they're pushed off by the new leaf growth the following spring. It can be grown as a specimen tree but in space-strapped gardens, it's best as a hedge.

Plant a common beech tree in your garden and make the most of its rich autumn colour. Buy your beech tree from our shop.

Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)

Crab apple is relatively compact, making it a fantastic native species to grow in your garden. Its yellow-green fruits appear at the end of summer and ripen into early autumn and can be used to make glowing sunset-coloured crab apple jelly. The apples often hang on the tree well into winter like nature's baubles.

Grow your own crab apple jelly - buy a crab apple tree from our shop.

Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)

Bursting into colour in the cooler months, dogwood produces brilliantly bright foliage in autumn and spectacular red stems in winter. Wildlife loves dogwood, from moth caterpillars that feed on its leaves to birds that banquet on its berries.

Buy a dogwood tree from our shop and plant your own winter colour.

Field maple (Acer campestre)

It's the UK's only native maple but it can hold its own against its exotic relatives when it comes to autumn colour. Its autumn leaves turn a multitude of hues from subtle coral to gleaming gold. It grows into a lovely-shaped medium-sized specimen tree, or plant it as part of a hedge.

Buy a field maple from our shop and add a burst of autumn gold to your garden.

Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus)

Bold and beautiful, this species will brighten up your garden in autumn. Its showy clusters of bright red berries are loved by thrushes and waxwing, and its three-lobed leaves turn a rich scarlet. Grow it as a hedge or specimen shrub. 

Buy your own guelder rose shrub from our shop and enjoy its deep autumn colours.

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)

A pagan symbol of fertility, hawthorn is a classic hedgerow species or is ideal as a specimen tree. In autumn, its deeply-lobed leaves turn a crimson red and its jewel-like berries gleam. It's great for wildlife, too, especially blackbirds.

Plant a hawthorn in your garden and enjoy its year-round colour. Buy your hawthorn tree from our shop.

Silver birch (Betula pendula)

Silver birch has so much going for it in every season, but in autumn you're rewarded by its golden-yellow foliage and white, pink or brown peeling bark. It's a quick-growing, elegant, slender species that doesn't take up too much space in the garden.

Buy a silver birch tree from our shop and watch it change through the seasons.

Spindle (Euonymous europaeus)

Spindle is at its loveliest in autumn when its leaves turn russet and its pink and orange fruits ripen. Its pink-winged fruits open to reveal bright orange seeds that hang on to the tree long after the leaves have fallen. A stunning specimen tree but also works well in a hedge.

Plant a spindle in your garden and make the most of its changing colours. Buy your spindle tree from our shop.

Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)

Rowan is an elegant tree with a mystical history. In autumn its striking pinnate leaves turn a magnificent orange or red. Its clusters of orange-red berries hang on the tree well into winter, providing a feast for mice and birds.

Plant a rowan tree and enjoy its autumn colours. Buy your rowan tree from our shop.

Wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana)

In autumn, the gorgeous wayfaring tree will produce groups of oval, flattened berries which start off red then turn black. Both colours can often be seen together. Its thick-textured leaves turn a rich colour in autumn. It's perfect for hedges, borders and screening.

Buy a wayfaring tree from our shop and watch its berries change colour during autumn.