Autumn trees: how to identify them
18th September 2024
Autumn trees have a special kind of beauty, treating us to a stunning seasonal show of reds, yellows and golds. But with deciduous trees slowly transforming into their dormant state ready for winter, it can be a challenge identifying them.
What to look out for when identifying autumn trees
If you would like to try and identify trees in autumn, here are some things to consider.
Many trees at this time of year are adorned with fruits, nuts, seeds and berries, so spotting the type of fruit or seed can make it much easier to identify. If the leaves are still present, either on the tree or fallen at its base, you can still get an idea of the leaf shape. If the branches are bare and the leaves have become unrecognisable, focus on the bark, twigs and buds.
Seed gathering season
Autumn is the time to gather seeds from trees! Mighty oaks from little acorns grow. Collecting and growing trees from seeds is a fun way to connect with and help nature. You can eventually plant them or even keep your tree in a pot as it grows. The Tree Council have on how to collect and grow trees from seeds.
A guide to common autumn trees
Here’s our guide to identifying the UK’s most common trees in autumn.
Alder
Alder leaves are racquet-shaped with an indented end. They mostly stay green until they fall in autumn, and then they turn a brown colour. The female cone-like catkins stay on the tree all year round. In autumn, you can see purple twigs with orange markings on alder.
Alder trees don’t rot when waterlogged, instead turning stronger and harder.
Blackthorn
Look out for their rich, inky, dark fruits known as sloes. Their twigs are black and spiny with leaf buds along the spines. Blackthorn leaves are slightly wrinkled, oval, toothed, pointed at the tip and tapered at the base. In autumn, they turn yellow and golden brown.
The sloe berries are often used to make a popular winter beverage, sloe gin!
Common beech
They have sharply pointed leaf buds that are not pressed against the twigs. Their leaves are 4–9cm long, stalked, oval and pointed at the tip, with a wavy edge. Beech trees often hold on to their leaves throughout winter, but they turn a golden-brown colour.
Beech is linked with femininity and is considered the queen of British trees, whilst oak is the king.
Dog rose
You can often see dog rose in hedgerows as it is a climbing shrub with curved thorns that give it grip. In autumn, dog rose has bright red, oval, berry-like hips (15–20mm) in small clusters. Their leaves grow on alternate sides of the stem, and divided into 2–3 pairs of smaller, toothed leaflets. They turn yellow and red in autumn.
Dog rose takes its name from the belief that its roots can be used to cure wild dog bites!
Dogwood
Their twigs turn bright red in autumn and winter. Dogwood’s leaves are 6cm long, oval, with smooth sides and clear curving veins. They change to a striking crimson colour in autumn.
The wood of the dogwood tree is particularly hard and it is said that it was once used to make crucifixes.
Elder
Elder becomes covered with dark almost black clusters of berries in autumn, these provide a good food source for birds and foraging animals. The leaves are pinnate (the shape of a feather), with 5–7 oval and toothed leaflets. They turn greeny-yellow in autumn. In winter elders have large purple buds that grow opposite each other on branches.
It is believed that the name ‘elder’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon ‘aeld’, meaning fire, because the hollow stems were used to blow air into the centre of a fire.
English oak
The leaves have no leaf stalks and long acorn stalks. The leaves are lobed and turn brown in autumn. In winter its buds grow in clusters.
Oak trees support more wildlife than any other native trees. They provide habitat for more than 257 species of insect.
Field maple
The leaves have five lobes with rounded teeth. They become a bright, golden yellow in autumn. In winter, the twigs might look veiny and have small, grey buds with grey fluff at their tips.
In parts of Europe, it was believed that maple branches hung around a doorway stopped bats from entering!
Hawthorn
It has deeply lobed leaves with teeth and spiny twigs. During the autumn, red fruits known as ‘haws’ appear on hawthorn and the leaves turn golden yellow. To identify hawthorn without leaves, look for the spines which emerge from the same point as the buds.
Hawthorn is a pagan symbol of fertility.
Hazel
In autumn, hazel can be identified by its nuts, which are each held in short, leafy husks covering most of the round nut. Small, green catkins can be present in autumn. Their leaves are oval, doubly toothed, hairy and pointed at the tip and they turn yellow.
Hazel has a reputation as a magical tree and is said to protect against evil spirits!
Hornbeam
In autumn, it has papery seeds hanging in tiered clusters that are dispersed by the wind. Leaf buds are pressed closely to the twig.
The leaves are similar to beech, oval with pointed tips. However, they are smaller and more deeply furrowed and have finely toothed edges (beech leaves have wavy edges). They become golden yellow to orange in colour and mostly stay on the tree.
Hornbeam is also called ‘hardbeam’ as its wood is hard and difficult to work.
Rowan
Rowan has clusters of bright red berries in autumn. Their leaves are made up of 6-8 pairs of small leaflets (12-16 leaflets in total). They turn bronze-red in autumn. The rowan’s young twigs are hairy and become smooth later. Their buds are hairy all over.
Rowan is also known as mountain ash because it grows well at high altitudes and its leaves are similar to ash trees.
Sessile oak
Sessile oak has long leaf stalks and no acorn stalks. The leaves are lobed and turn brown in autumn. This oak has a more upright trunk and straighter branches than English oak. It has rounded buds which are in clusters. Each bud has more than three scales.
The oak was believed to be sacred to many gods including Zeus, Jupiter and the Celtic Dagda.
Silver birch
Silver birches are common and easily recognised by their white, papery bark. Their twigs are rough to the touch. Their leaves are small and triangular with a toothed edge, turning to yellow in autumn. Birches also release masses of tiny seeds at this time of year.
Silver birch trees can be planted to improve soil quality.
Wild cherry
The leaves are oval, green and toothed with pointed tips, measuring 6–15cm with two red glands on the stalk at the leaf base. They turn into beautiful orange and deep crimson colours before dropping. The twigs have oval-shaped buds in clusters.
In Highland folklore, wild cherry had mysterious qualities. Seeing one was considered auspicious and fateful.
Discover the autumn trees at your local Tiny Forest!
The Tiny Forest Tree Survey is taking place 12 – 20 October 2024. It is a simple survey, measuring and identifying trees at the 250+ Tiny Forests across the UK.
We’re calling on everyone who lives near a Tiny Forest to get involved and help us understand how Tiny Forests grow. Connect with nature, boost your wellbeing and discover the Tiny Forest in your community!
Sign up to receive a free downloadable survey pack, an autumn tree identification guide and fun activities for all the family.