Mountain Fire: Top 10 Trees for Fiery Red Fall Foliage – Ken Lain

There is a moment every October when the mountains of Arizona decide to put on a show that rivals anything you’ll find in New England. I call it the “Mountain Fire” season. While the rest of the world is focused on pumpkins and sweaters, a gardener’s eyes are glued to the canopy. We are looking for that specific, heart-stopping crimson that defines the high-country autumn.

If your yard is missing that spark, this is the absolute best time to fix it. The soil is warm enough to encourage root growth, but the air is cool enough that the trees won’t suffer from transplant shock. Here is my “Mountain Fire” list: the Top 10 Trees that will turn your backyard into a seasonal masterpiece.

1. The Prescott Blaze Maple

This is the undisputed king of local red. It’s a hybrid designed for our fast-paced mountain weather. It grows quickly, resists wind damage better than most maples, and turns a shade of orange-red so bright it looks like it’s plugged into an outlet. It’s perfect for a street tree or a patio shade provider.

2. Flame Maple

Don’t let the name fool you; this is one of the hardiest trees we sell. It’s well-adapted to our mountain clay soils and is surprisingly drought-tolerant once it gets its feet under it. Whether you grow it as a multi-trunk specimen or a large shrub, it ignites into a brilliant red that holds its color for weeks.

3. Raywood Ash

If you prefer a deeper, more sophisticated red, the Raywood Ash is your tree. Through the summer, it offers a beautiful, fine-textured green canopy. But when the nights get cold, it turns rich, wine-red, or deep purple. It’s an upright grower, making it an excellent choice for narrower spaces.

4. Red Oak

Oaks symbolize strength, but the Prescott Red Oak is also a symbol of beauty. It has that classic, deeply lobed leaf that we all associate with autumn. The red is deep and earthy, and because oaks are so long-lived, this is a tree you plant for your grandchildren to enjoy.

5. Aristocrat Pear

I love a tree that works hard all year. The Aristocrat Pear gives you a cloud of white flowers in the spring and glossy green leaves in the summer. It’s often the last tree to turn in the fall, but it’s worth the wait. Its red is often brighter than many maples, and it handles our mountain winds with grace.

6. Ornamental Pistachio

For the “brown thumb” gardener, this is the one. It thrives on neglect and can handle harsh, windy exposures. The canopy is a perfect umbrella shape that turns a vibrant, multi-toned crimson and orange. It is a stunning specimen to flank a driveway.

7. Quaking Aspen

While famously gold, certain mountain-grown Aspens can surprise you with orange and red streaks when the conditions are just right. Their white bark provides the perfect high-contrast background for any red-foliaged plants you have nearby.

8. Japanese Maple

For the shaded corners of your yard, the Fireglow or Bloodgood varieties are essential. They offer a delicate, refined red that brings a touch of elegance to a patio or entry.

9. Serviceberry

This is a native beauty. It offers white spring flowers, edible summer berries (if the birds don’t get them first), and foliage that turns a brilliant, dusty red in the fall.

10. Burning Bush

While often seen as a shrub, when trained as a small specimen tree, the Burning Bush is unparalleled. Its name is no exaggeration; it becomes a glowing neon-red orb visible from a block away.

Ken’s Pro-Tip for Better Color

To get the most “fire” out of your foliage, your trees need to be healthy. October is the most important feeding of the year. I use Watters 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food. It’s organic and packed with the iron and sulfur our mountain soil lacks. A well-fed tree produces more of the pigments that create those red hues we love.

Stop by the garden center this week. Let’s pick out a tree that will bring the Mountain Fire to your own backyard.

Join Me at the Garden Center!

Learning the ropes takes time, but you don’t have to do it alone. We host free garden classes every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at Watters Garden Center.

1. October 17: Effortless Plants for Business Gardeners
2. October 24: Seasoned 7 for Autumn Color Plants
3. October 31: Brown Thumb Bootcamp – A Plant Killers Class to Success

Until next week, I’ll be helping new local gardeners here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Trees.com