The right fall weather conditions—cool nights and warm, sunny days—produce the most vibrant autumn colours, but certain trees are natural showstoppers. “While temperature dictates intensity, it’s just one factor that plays a role in painting a striking fall landscape,” says John Ransom, a senior area manager with Davey Tree Expert Company of Canada. “Trees differ in the types and concentrations of pigments they produce,” he says. These pigments include chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanins; they’re responsible for a tree’s green, yellow, red, or orange foliage. Plus, evolution and genetics play a part. “Species that evolved in open-canopy environments, for example, maples, may have developed brighter colours as a form of photoprotection (to prevent damage from sunlight) or even to deter insects,” says Ransom. Time to get your leaf-peeping pants on! Here are nine native Canadian trees born to bust out that fabulous fall foliage.
Best for red and orange:
Sugar maple
Red maple
Mountain maple
Staghorn sumac
Best for yellow:
Tamarack
Largetooth aspen
White birch
Best for purple:
Sassafras
Black cherry
Learn the 12 official trees of Canada
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