table of contents
- American red oak
- Blood maple
- Blood plum
- Japanese maple
- Fire maple
- Judas tree
- Cork wing shrub
- Red maple
- European beech
- Redwood dogwood
- frequently asked Questions
If trees have red leaves, they are particularly decorative and clearly stand out from other plants. We show which species with red foliage are possible.
In a nutshell
- red leaves can exist all year round or not until autumn
- A substance called anthocyanin is responsible for the red color
- young trees often have more red leaves than older trees
American red oak
- botanical name: Quercus rubra
- Origin: North America
- Flowering period: April to May
- Flower color: green to yellowish
- Fruits: acorns, often hanging in pairs
- Height: up to over 30 meters
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: sandy to loamy
- Winter hardiness: yes
- Leaf color: from autumn through orange to red and reddish brown
Note: The red leaves of the tree can reach a length of up to 20 cm and more.
Blood maple
- botanical name: Acer platanoides
- Origin: Asia and Europe
- Flowering period: March to April
- Flower color: green to yellowish
- Fruits: winged nuts arranged in pairs
- Height: between 20 and 30 meters
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: nutrient-rich, loose and well-drained, not sensitive to lime
- Winter hardiness: older specimens are very resistant, young trees need protection
- Leaf color: depending on the variety, consistently red or red in spring through green to golden brown
- Special features: growing very slowly
Blood plum
- botanical name: Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra'
- Origin: Middle East
- Flowering period: from March
- Flower color: pink
- Fruits: cherry plums, edible
- Height: five to seven meters
- Location: full sun is ideal
- Substrate: nutrient-rich, calcareous, loose
- Winter hardiness: yes
- Leaf color: red leaves, usually very dark
- Special features: red leaves have a metallic sheen
Japanese maple
- botanical name: Acer palmatum
- Origin: Asia
- Flowering period: April to May
- Flower color: purple
- Fruits: winged nuts, arranged in pairs
- Height: five to seven meters
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: loose, well-drained, sandy-humic
- Winter hardiness: young specimens need protection when cultivated in pots
- Leaf color: consistently red
- Special features: slowly growing
Fire maple
- botanical name: Acer ginnala
- Origin: Asia
- Flowering period: May to June
- Flower color: creamy white
- Fruits: winged nuts
- Height: up to six meters
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: undemanding in terms of substrate, well-drained and moderately nutrient-rich soil is ideal
- Winter hardiness: young specimens and plants in pots need protection, older ones are hardy
- Leaf color: bright red leaves from autumn
- Special features: slowly growing
Note: This tree with red leaves attracts a lot of insects with its strongly fragrant flowers.
Judas tree
- botanical name: Cercis siliquastrum
- Origin: Mediterranean
- Flowering period: April to May
- Flower color: purple-pink
- Fruits: pods ten to twelve centimeters long
- Height: about up to six meters
- Location: full sun, warm and protected
- Substrate: loamy, calcareous but permeable
- Winter hardiness: depending on the type, winter hardy up to 400 meters or more
- Leaf color: green, bluish or wine-red, depending on the species and variety
- Special features: can be grown as a tree or shrub, very decorative fruits
Cork wing shrub
- botanical name: Euonymus alatus
- Origin: Asia
- Flowering period: May to June
- Flower color: green to yellowish
- Fruits: orange-red berries
- Height: up to 2.5 meters
- Location: full sun to partial shade
- Substrate: nutrient-rich, moist and humus-rich substrate
- Winter hardiness: well tolerated by frost
- Leaf color: red foliage
- Special features: Leaves and flowers are particularly decorative and set accents
Red maple
- botanical name: Acer rubrum
- Origin: Asia
- Flowering period: March to April
- Flower color: red
- Fruits: winged nuts
- Height: ten to 15 meters
- Location: sunny to partially shaded
- Substrate: loose, permeable, humic - compaction and waterlogging are poorly tolerated
- Winter hardiness: very robust and well hardy
- Leaf color: bright red to green
- Special features: high resistance and low demands
European beech
- botanical name: Fagus sylvatica
- Origin: Europe
- Flowering period: April to May
- Flower color: white to green-brown
- Fruits: beechnuts, slightly poisonous
- Height: up to 30 meters
- Location: sunny, partially shaded to shady
- Substrate: dry, well drained, moderately rich in nutrients
- Winter hardiness: extremely resistant
- Leaf color: orange to red leaves in autumn
- Special features: very easy to care for, only long periods of drought and waterlogging are not tolerated
Redwood dogwood
- botanical name: Cornus sanguinea
- Origin: Europe and Asia
- Flowering period: May to June
- Flower color: white
- Fruits: bluish-black berries, edible raw but inedible, can be made into jam
- Height: three to six meters, depending on the climate
- Location: sunny, partially shaded or shady, protected
- Substrate: humus, rich in nutrients, well drained and slightly moist
- Winter hardiness: easily hardy
- Leaf color: flame red in autumn
- Special features: the red wood acts as an additional eye-catcher
frequently asked Questions
How are the red leaves of the trees formed?
The red dye is a substance called anthocyanin. This is formed by some and especially younger plants, especially in spring, and serves, among other things, as sun protection. If the red color does not take place until autumn, it is usually a question of slow drying and withering or the increasing storage of anthocyanins.
Can the red leaves change color?
Yes, it is possible for red leaves to turn green or turn brown in autumn. Due to the large number of different species and cultivars, there are just as many different possibilities for leaf colors and coloring over time. Due to the temporal changes, an eye-catcher can always be present in the garden.
Are there red trees that do not shed any foliage?
This is especially possible in the bucket culture. Most plants in European climates, however, are deciduous when planted outdoors. Even otherwise robust species usually do not sprout again until spring. Some trees with red foliage, on the other hand, are eye-catching all year round.