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My son has ginko tree on his backyard. It often turns yellow in one day and the next drops its leaves to the ground leaving a gorgeous carpet of color below. Sometimes the yellow leaves stay on the tree for few days. Not long, though.
In autumn, deciduous trees form a scar between their leaves and stems to protect themselves from diseases cold. Most flowering trees form scars at different rates, in different parts of the tree, over several weeks. Their leaves then fall off individually. Ginkgo trees form scars across all their stems at once. And when the first hard frost of the season arrives, it finishes severing every leaf, and they fall to the ground in unison.
I will be replacing up to 12 side walk trees. The city has a list of approved trees; I am thinking about the gingko tree for its fall foliage.
Any one knows how long the gingko tree will have yellow leaves? 1 month? 2 months? longer?
There is no way to know. It's different every year with all ginkgos. How long they keep their golden colour all depends on the geographical locations of the trees and what the weather has been like YEAR ROUND during EACH year in each location. The climate is never exactly the same each year and therefore the length of time the ginkgos will keep their autumn colour is never the same each year and it can't be predicted. It could be for only a couple of days one year and it could be for a couple of months on a different year, it can never be determined from year to year. However, they do typically turn yellow in early October with decreasing daylight - but there is no guarantee that it will be every October.
There is one thing that has been determined though. The ginkgo trees are kind of like a clock measuring increasing climate change temperatures and their leaves are like the hands on a clock slowing down. They are gaining growth time. For the past 70 years there have been special studies being done on ginkgos to try to determine the timing of when the trees have their synchronized "night of the fall of Ginkgo leaves", that is the night that they all simultaneously drop all of their leaves together in their location.
Well, they haven't figured that one out yet, it's still a mystery, but what was unexpectedly discovered over that 70 year time period is that in conjunction with climate change the ginkgo trees everywhere are changing their leaf growth pattern to coincide with climate change and the increase in global temperature.
Each year in spring the new leaves start budding out earlier than they did the year before and each autumn they change their leaves' colour and leaf drop later than they did the year before. In the past 70 years ginkgos everywhere in the world have gained 12 additional days (288 hours) of time and leaf growth. They are gaining a little bit more time each year.
I know that's not what you asked about but it's something to think about for the future. I guess you'll just have to take your hit or miss chances on ginkgo trees, or else pick a more reliable species of tree for duration of autumn colour.
1. A full tree of nothing but vibrant color at some point of the year. (want that stunning effect)
2. Color lasting as long as possible
3. Should be a tree and eventually look like a lollipop shape (as opposed to a big bush plant)
Any other option on that list? I see it contains Crape Myrtle; the color looks fine but the tree seems a bit small... Size aside, how long is Crape Myrtle's flowering window?
1. A full tree of nothing but vibrant color at some point of the year. (want that stunning effect)
2. Color lasting as long as possible
3. Should be a tree and eventually look like a lollipop shape (as opposed to a big bush plant)
Any other option on that list? I see it contains Crape Myrtle; the color looks fine but the tree seems a bit small... Size aside, how long is Crape Myrtle's flowering window?
Some types of Crape Myrtle form a beautiful canopy, and grow quite tall. Natchez is a white flowering one that blooms for 90-100 days, and the bark is beautiful. You just have to know the characteristics of the plants you are buying….some are short and some are tall.
There is a rest area in NC, I think on I95, which has a gorgeous canopy of red crape myrtles that form a “roof†over the picnic area. So pretty.
Last edited by gentlearts; 01-26-2023 at 02:27 PM..
1. A full tree of nothing but vibrant color at some point of the year. (want that stunning effect)
2. Color lasting as long as possible
3. Should be a tree and eventually look like a lollipop shape (as opposed to a big bush plant)
Any other option on that list? I see it contains Crape Myrtle; the color looks fine but the tree seems a bit small... Size aside, how long is Crape Myrtle's flowering window?
That's a fairly extensive list. Who will be responsible for costs and duty of tree pruning and maintenance, and for cleaning up all seasonal litter that gets dropped by the trees? Some of the trees on the list are beautiful year round but are very messy litterbugs. Also who is responsible for costs of repairs to damaged sidewalks or streets due to root damages and upheavals? Also, are there power lines near the sidewalk strip where you would be planting trees that would need to be considered?
I already have a fondness for ginkgos having grown them before. So I like your first choice of ginkgos best of all regardless of how long they keep their yellow leaves each year and if it was up to me that's what I'd do for practical reasons. They exhibit some unusual behaviours at times but they are just all round attractive, pleasant and friendly trees to be around, easy to grow and not a lot of work.
Other alternative choices for favourites I'd make from that list, in order of preference, would be:
Silk Tree - https://selectree.calpoly.edu/tree-detail/147 (Beautiful, beautiful! I had a silk tree once before a long time ago and it was delightful but it died one winter after surviving 5 years in a pot and it was my own fault for not putting it into the ground right away when I first got it.)
1. A full tree of nothing but vibrant color at some point of the year. (want that stunning effect)
2. Color lasting as long as possible
3. Should be a tree and eventually look like a lollipop shape (as opposed to a big bush plant)
Any other option on that list? I see it contains Crape Myrtle; the color looks fine but the tree seems a bit small... Size aside, how long is Crape Myrtle's flowering window?
Crape Myrtles range from 8ft shrublike trees to 30 plus ft giants.
Edit: also, Crape Myrtles have a long flowering window. About 100 days. They should flower from May into September. Maybe longer depending on weather.
Last edited by atadytic19; 01-26-2023 at 04:49 PM..
Don't get Chinese flame tree. My city (in Orange County) planted them liberally all over, and they do well in this climate and are reasonably attractive. The bees love the yellow flowers. BUT, they make pink seed pods with multiple seeds that blow all over when it's windy, and the seeds sprout like crazy. Every year we get little trees coming up all over our backyard for months. When my kids were little, I used to give them 1 cent for every one they pulled out, and they would each make a couple of bucks. And if you miss one seedling and it gets too big, it's very difficult to root out. I would just steer clear. It is a tree to admire far away from your own yard.
We also have crape myrtles on our street and the ones with pink flowers are quite attractive. They are in bloom for a month maybe? Depends on the weather conditions. The flowers are a bit messy and the trees are not super large, maybe 12-14 feet tall.
We have a ginkgo which is green most of the year, turns yellow suddenly, and is striking for a week or so or however long it takes for the wind to kick up and blow all the leaves off. But it isn't invasive and doesn't have sticky flowers like crepe myrtles (or jacarandas...shudder), so it's not a bad choice.
I have a soft spot for the ornamental plums with the dark reddish-purple leaves. I'd be inclined to go for that one.
I'd go with the red maple. Too bad the Autumn Blaze maple was a trial. At least in the Midwest the leaves on both of those trees last quite awhile and are stunning. The Autumn Blaze is a hybrid so grows fast like silver maples, but it has the color of red maples. Our was hit by lightening and split in half.
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