Which trees have red leaves?

Trees with Red Leaves - Albizia 'Summer Chocolate' Red-Leaved

Some people love it, others don't like it at all…

They're certainly something special: Trees with red leaves!

For all lovers of trees with red leaves, here is a fairly comprehensive overview. By the way, we’re not referring to trees with beautiful red fall foliage (you can find those here…), but trees that have red leaves throughout the entire growing season.

By the way, red foliage comes in a variety of shades: from bright red to dark red, burgundy, and purple, as well as shades of brown and even nearly black foliage.

Trees with red foliage for the small(er) garden

Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ (Japanese maple)

Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ (Japanese maple)

Acer palmatum ‘Trompenburg’ (Japanese maple)

Acer platanoides ‘Crimson Sentry’ * (Norway maple)

Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ (Persian silk tree) *

Cercidiphyllum japonicum ‘Rotfuchs’ (katsura tree) *

Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ (Judas tree)

Corylus avallana ‘Rode Zellernoot’ (red-leaved hazel)

Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’ (smoke tree)

Cotinus dummeri ‘Grace’ (smoke tree)

Fagus sylvatica ‘Dawyck Purple’ (red beech)

Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea Pendula’ (red weeping beech)

Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Rubylace’ (false honey locust) *

Juglans regia ‘Purpurea’ (blood walnut)

Lagerstroemia indica ‘Black Diamond’ (Indian lilac)

Malus ‘Royalty’ (ornamental apple)

Prunus serrulata ‘Royal Burgundy’ (red-leaved Japanese ornamental cherry)

Prunus cerasifera ‘Nigra’ (red cherry plum)

Prunus cerasifera ‘Trailblazer’ (red cherry plum)

Prunus virginiana ‘Shubert’ (Virginia bird cherry)

* These trees can still grow quite large or wide. Not suitable for very small gardens.

Trees with Red Leaves - Cercis Forest Pansy (Judas Tree), Red-Leaved

(Too) Large Trees with Red Leaves

Many trees with red foliage grow large—very large, in fact. They’re beautiful specimens, but not suitable for a small garden. For the sake of completeness, we’ll mention a few here anyway. Perhaps this will help you avoid making the wrong choice…

Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’ (Norway maple)
Acer platanoides ‘Faassen’s Black’
Acer platanoides ‘Royal Red’
Betula pendula ‘Purpurea’
Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropunicea’ (red beech)
Fagus sylvatica ‘Black Swan’
Fagus sylvatica ‘Rohanii’
Quercus robur ‘Purparescens’
Quercus robur ‘Timuki’

Trees with red leaves - Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), red-leaved

(Very) Small Trees with Red Leaves: Japanese Maples

There’s always room for these trees—or, more often than not, small trees. Most Japanese maples have spectacular red fall colors, but these small Acer trees have beautiful red leaves for most of the growing season. Japanese maples also do well in pots on your patio or balcony. The Japanese maples listed below generally remain under 3 meters tall.

Acer palmatum ‘Beni Kagami’
Acer palmatum ‘Burgundy Lace’
Acer palmatum ‘Crimson Queen’
Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Nigrum’
Acer palmatum ‘Fireglow’
Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’
Acer palmatum ‘Inaba Shidare’
Acer palmatum ‘Ornatum’
Acer palmatum ‘Pixie’
Acer palmatum ‘Red Emperor’
Acer palmatum ‘Skeeters Broom’
Acer palmatum ‘Sumi Nagashi’