Yes, November Has Fall Colors

By Laurie Casey
The Morton Arboretum

The amazing fall foliage show isn’t over. There are still colorful trees and shrubs to see. Two native woody plants, common witch-hazel and persimmon, give can’t-miss November shows. Witch-hazel and persimmon are well-suited to home landscapes and are good choices for next spring’s planting season. This is one of the best times to take a crisp fall walk at the Arboretum or another natural area to see these plants strutting their stuff on the fall stage.

“People may be surprised to learn there are plants with late fall interest like common witch-hazel and persimmon. There are still some beautiful plants that show off at this time of year,” said Ed Hedborn, manager of plant records at The Morton Arboretum. He tracks which trees and other plants are turning at the Arboretum throughout the fall color season, which typically extends well into November, with trees from 40 countries changing at different times.

By now, look for common witch-hazel to drop most of its pretty yellow leaves revealing fragrant, ribbon-like flowers that will remain on the branches well into December. Common witch-hazel is considered a “four-season plant,” meaning it has something to offer all year round. Plants like these can give more bang for your landscaping buck—literally! Common witch-hazel has cannonball seeds. When the woody seedpods ripen, they burst with a popcorn sound and send the seeds flying 30 feet away or more. The seeds attract birds that winter in Northern Illinois. Even after blooming, common witch-hazel’s attractive gray bark looks pretty against the wintery landscape.

It is a large shrub, reaching 15-20 feet high and 15-20 feet wide. Common witch-hazel likes filtered sun, but it handles shade, too, though flowers and foliage may be sparser. It’s perfect for the back of a shrub border or in a woodland garden. Common witch-hazel performs best in moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter, but it will tolerate poorly drained clay soil. Because it doesn’t like dry conditions, mulch to keep the roots moist.

Our native persimmon tree is another fall beauty, and is available in select nurseries. The main attraction is the fruit. “It doesn’t have much fall color at first, but when the leaves drop, the tree gets a golden glow from its orangey-yellow fruits,” said Hedborn.

The edible, sweet fruit looks like an apricot and has about the same consistency, according to Edith Makra, professional arborist and Arboretum community trees advocate. Persimmon fruit, which has a pretty, star-shaped cap, usually ripens after the first frost. It’s tasty—but don’t pick it until it’s just about to fall off the tree. “If you pick persimmon too soon and try to eat it, you won’t be talking for days, as it’s quite astringent!” said Makra.

Persimmon bark has a rich, chocolate-brown to black color and a blocky, alligator skin-like texture. The wood is very hard (it used to be a popular choice to make golf clubs.) When mature, the tree has a pleasing oval shape and reaches between 35 and 60 feet tall, and between 20 and 35 feet wide.

Preferring full sun and well-drained soil, persimmon is moderately tolerant of salt, so it should be planted in areas that get a little road salt. Deer, raccoons, and possums love the fruit, so it’s a great tree to include if you want to attract wildlife to your yard.

Glad You Asked

Q. What are those dried-up seedpods on my witch-hazel?
A. The greenish seed capsules become woody with age and split open in fall of the following year. The empty capsules can remain one or more years later.

Q. Why does my neighbor’s witch-hazel bloom in late February?
A. Sounds like vernal witch-hazel that makes orangey-red blooms in late winter. It’s a smaller shrub than the common variety.

At the Arboretum
Love gardening? Ever daydream about turning your hobby into a job? Come to “Gardeners’ Night Out: Exploring a Horticulture Career” 6:30-9:00 p.m. Dec. 4. $60 (discount for members). Registration open now. Call (630) 719-2468.

Laurie Casey is a staff writer at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.