Color throughout Woodlands

Foliage color starts in mid to late September with such notable plants as dogwood, maple and katsura tree.   Color increases in early October with golden hues from hickories, ashes and beech and red from black gum.

Late October to early November is traditionally the height of our fall color with vivid yellows from tulip-poplar and hickories, russet tones from beech and oak and reds from black gum and dogwood. Color is echoed on the woodland floor by spicebush, fern and other wildflowers.

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LocationColorTime of Interest
March Bank, Glade
Aster divaricatus (White Wood Aster)WhiteSeptember
Solidago spp. (Goldenrod)YellowOctober
Tricyrtis cvs. (Toad-lily)White, LavenderSeptember-November
Viburnum dilatatum (Linden Viburnum)Red FruitSeptember-winter
Magnolia Bend
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)Lavender, Silver StemsJuly-October
Ceratostigma plumbaginoides (Plumbago)Blue, Foliage ColorJuly-October
Symplocas paniculata (Sapphire Berry)Blue FruitSeptember, October
Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum’Foliage ColorNovember
Enkianthus perulatusFoliage ColorNovember
Winterhazel Walk
Corylopsis spp. (Winterhazel)Foliage colorOctober-November
Rhododendron mucronulatum (Korean R.)LavenderOctober-November
Pinetum, Sundial
Viburnum spp. and cvs.Foliage colorOctober
Spiraea prunifolia (Bridal Wreath Spirea)Foliage colorOctober
Chaenomeles spp. and cvs. (Flowering Quince)Yellow fruitOctober
Malus sargentii (Sargent Crabapple)Red fruitOctober
Fothergilla spp. and cvs.Foliage colorOctober-November
Sycamore Hill
Sporobolus heterolepis (Prairie Dropseed)Foliage ColorAugust – winter
Schizachyrium scoparum (Little Blue Stem)Foliage ColorAugust – winter
Aster spp. and cvs.White, BlueSeptember, October
Cornus kousa (Kousa Dogwood)Red Fruit, Foliage ColorSeptember- November
Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur’ (Smooth Witherod)Fruit and Foliage ColorSeptember-November
Cotoneaster salicifoliusRed Fruit, Foliage ColorSeptember-winter
Stewartia spp.Foliage ColorOctober, November
Amsonia hubrectii (Bluestar)Foliage ColorOctober, November
Oak Hill
Colchicum spp. and cvs. (Autumn Crocus)LavenderSeptember, October
Callicarpa spp. and cvs. (Beauty Berry)Lavender FruitSeptember- December
Viburnum spp. and cvs.Red and Yellow Fruit, Foliage ColorSeptember- December
Poncirus trifoliata  (Hardy Orange)Yellow FruitSeptember- November
Cornus kousa (Kousa Dogwood)Red Fruit, Foliage ColorSeptember- November
Sternbergia lutea (Fall Daffodil)YellowOctober
Euonymus bungeana (Winterberry Euonymus) (corner of the research building)Foliage ColorOctober
Enchanted Woods
Aster divaricatus (White Wood Aster)WhiteSeptember
Cimicifuga acerina (Bugbane)WhiteSeptember
Callicarpa spp. and cvs. (Beauty Berry)White, Lavender FruitSeptember- December
Viburnum dilatatum cvs. (Linden Viburnum)Yellow, Red FruitSeptember- winter
Hamamelis virginiana (Witchhazel)Yellow, Foliage ColorOctober, November
Tricyrtis cvs. (Toad-lily)LavenderOctober, November

For further information, see The Winterthur Garden: Henry Francis du Pont’s Romance with the Land, by Denise Magnani (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1995).