One of the maple species that tends to be overshadowed by the red and sugar maples is the black maple (acer nigrum). So-called because of its dark brown trunk, the black maple is a lovely shade tree.
They have a beautiful shape and in autumn, their large green leaves turn a combination of orange, red and yellow.
They are related to the sugar maples to the extent that some botanists consider them to be a subspecies and they can also be tapped for syrup.
They can grow up to 34 metres (112 ft) and will develop a dense crown which encourages people on a hot day to sit underneath with a cool drink.
I’ve enjoyed watching large maple leaves gently fall from this tree and now there’s only a very few left including this little one, its time done, its rest awaiting.
There’s something very soothing about taking just a couple of minutes to watch leaves floating to the ground; a very centring activity.
Lace leaf, weeping or red dragon maples (acer palmatum dissectum) are native to Korea, China, Japan, Mongolia and southeast Russia; however, they are now grown all over the world and prized for their lovely shape, delicate lacy or feathery leaves and beautiful colours.
They only grow to about 2-3 metres (6-9 ft) or less (the ones pictured are only about half that height), so they really are more shrub-like than tree-like. They take on a dome shape when they reach full maturity which makes them appear to be “weeping.”
In autumn they turn the most glorious crimson red which will gradually fade into pink or rusty red before they drop their leaves in December.
The colour is so intense that they almost seem to glow, especially when the sun shines on them.
Red is my favourite colour, so I find myself particularly drawn to them.
An April 15, 2025, lace leaf maple.
After their dormant winter period, they re-emerge in late March or April with brownish-red leaves that eventually turn quite red before morphing into green for summer.
A transitioning lace leaf; June 5, 2025.
Lace leaf maples are not only beautiful, they are also quite compact and will work well in small gardens. They’re winter tolerant to zones 5a and 5b.
For most of the year they add so much visual interest and stunning colour to a garden. Isn’t nature grand?
A lace leaf shifts from early autumn to late autumn dress; November 4, 2025.
I’m betting that you’re definitely not, but here are some autumnal oranges that might provide you with a little flare to help you get through that nasty first day of the working week.
A beautiful big leaf maple (acer macrophyllum) glows with coppery colour …
… while the Japanese maple (acer palmatum) with its delicate leaves displays a delicate terra cotta hue to match.
A larger photo of the Japanese maple shows that some of its leaves are red or reddish; that’s because its leaves turn that colour first before gradually fading to orange.
And here are three Japanese maples showing a gorgeous – and reflective – reddish-orange.
Even though it’s Monday and can’t be avoided, I hope you have a good one.
Barberry can show an interesting autumn colour palette. Some shrubs turn a uniformly scarlet red while others develop multi-hued leaves.
I love the mixture of red, pink, yellow and green shown here but barberry can also be quite purplish as you can see from the featured photo.
I always wish that autumn could last a bit longer so that we could really take in the colours but of course we humans in that case probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much!
I find these red-speckled autumn barberry leaves lovely. They’re decaying, but they’re displaying so much beauty, too.
A faded ginkgo biloba leaf is caught in the barberry shrub, making for a lovely colour counterpoint.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 