Placing trees of these colors needs great care, but their colors mingled with the multitude of others in autumn are effective and of great beauty; they do not blend well with the normal greens, particularly if used in quantity. They should, therefore, be used sparingly in isolation at points where they will inevitably catch the eye.
A number have clear colors when the leaves unfold but gradually lose this quality and become sombre as the season progresses. Others, not included here, become normal green when the leaves are open.
Search Google Images for the trees listed.
ACER PLATANOIDES `Crimson King’ (`Goldsworth Purple’),
Norway maple with crimson-purple leaves larger than the type.
BETULA PENDULA PURPUREA
The purple-leaved birch is not a vigorous tree.
CORYLUS MAXIMA PURPUREA
The purple-leaved filbert is a good color though not often of tree size. See picture above.
FAGUS SYLVATICA ATROPUNICEA
The dark purple beech, cuprea copper beech; and purpurea, purple beech, are all well-known, reliable trees reaching a considerable size and quite unsuitable for other than the largest garden. Weeping forms of these colored variants are also available
Cedrus atlantica glauca is a graceful conifer with glaucous blue leaves.
MALUS
The flowering crabs provide several kinds with red or purple foliage combined with gay flowers and decorative fruits. All are very hardy and adaptable, well suited to a small garden; M. x aldenhamensis, purplish leaves, rich red flowers and crimson fruit. M. eleyi is rather more vigorous than the last, the leaves bronze-green flushed with purple, the fruit hanging longer on the tree. M. purpurea has dark purplish green leaves, crimson flowers and fruits, both tinged with purple. M. `Wisley Crab’, larger than the foregoing in all its parts, the leaves bronzy-red, the flowers large, wine colored, scented and large deep-red fruits.
PRUNUS
Several plums have colored leaves, the best including P. blireana (often a large shrub) deep copper with pink flowers. P. cerasifera atropurpurea, better known as P. pissardii, with crimson-purple leaves, suitable also for hedging; nigra has darker leaves.
QUERCUS PETRAEA PURPUREA
Has reddish-purple leaves which become green flushed with red. Q. robur fastigiata purpurea has young leaves the same color.
