The fall foliage found throughout Ohio often adds great ornamental value to the shrub or tree upon which it grows. These Ohio leaves, whether from an evergreen, shrub or deciduous tree, have the ability to bring color and interest to a home landscape. Most belong to species native to the Buckeye State, but some develop on trees and shrubs that are naturalized species in Ohio, having seeded themselves in parts of the state after escaping cultivation.
Deciduous Shrub Leaves
Some of the most colorful foliage on Ohio shrubs in the fall is present on non-native shrub species such as the burning bush (Euonymus alatus), a Chinese and Korean plant that reliably changes to bright crimson in autumn. A native shrub, the silky dogwood (Cornus amomum) produces fall leaves in good years that are yellowish-red or reddish-orange. The leaves of the spicebush (Lindera benzoin), a 6- to 12-foot-tall shrub, turn shades of yellow in the fall, making this a desirable species for shrub borders and woodland gardens, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Arrowwood viburnum's (Viburnum dentatum) fall leaves sometimes disappoint, with the leaves remaining chartreuse, but the shrub's leaves can change to tints of red, orange, purple and yellow, highlighting this plant.
Interesting Shaped Leaves
Ohio is home to various trees with shapes quite different from most other species. In the fall, before they come off the branches, these leaves sometimes become highlights of the species. One such tree is the tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), named for the tuliplike shape of its foliage. The leaves, resembling a tulip's silhouette, often change to golden colors during fall. The northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) features foot-long leaves shaped like hearts. Their color is an unspectacular yellow in fall, but their size and shape still garner attention. Red mulberry (Morus rubra), an Ohio native, often has different shaped leaves on the same tree, with some having no lobes, others having many and still others similar in shape to a mitten. The leaves of red mulberry change yellow in fall in Ohio, making the tree useful as a specimen species.
Compound Leaves
Compound leaves are present on some Ohio trees, with the leaf a combination of a long stem with several leaflets attached to it. Nut trees such as the hickories (Carya) and members of the ash family (Fraxinus) are among those with compound leaves that come off the tree in autumn. The colors can be attractive in good years, with hickory species such as bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) turning bright yellow. The green ash (Fraxnus pennsylvanica) also has the capability of producing golden fall foliage. The buckeyes, including the yellow buckeye (Aesculus flava), have palmately compound leaves that look like an open hand with the fingers outstretched. The buckeyes usually remain a shade of green in fall, bit sometimes surprise and provide the landowner with green, yellow and orange mixtures on its leaves.
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