The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

Landscaping enthusiasts have many options for achieving colorful yards in autumn.

Yet, notreesin eastern North America are as closely associated with fall foliage asmaple trees.

Even relatively consistent cultivars are at the mercy of the weather.

Maple tree with orange foliage

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

The intensity of color can be lessened due to extreme summer heat and drought.

Optimal fall foliage is dependent upon sunny days and crisp nights at the beginning of autumn.

In years with unusual sun or temperature patterns, the color palette may be altered.

Red maple tree with orange foliage

The Spruce / Autumn Wood

Never fear: A single year of muted hues doesn’t mean the spectacular display won’t return.

Here are 10 great maple trees to consider for brilliant fall color.

It’s a medium-sized tree with a dense, broad-oval crown.

Red leaves of the ‘Autumn Blaze’ maple tree

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The medium-green leaves, which have the classic five-lobe shape, turn orange-red to scarlet in the fall.

This neat tree produces a minimal amount of seeds.

A particularly popular cultivar is ‘Bailsta,’ usually sold under the trade name Fall Fiesta.

Sugar maple with orange fall leaves

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Black Maple (Acer saccharum subsp.

The summer foliage is also a somewhat darker green than that of the sugar maple.

Norway maples are such tenacious trees that they can be invasive in some areas of North America.

Black maple trees with orange leaves

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Many states and counties have actually declared it legally invasivewhich means it’s a no-go for planting.

Amur Maple (Acer tataricum subsp.

Although they can tolerate light shade, they achieve their best fall color if they get full sun.

Norway maple tree with green, yellow, and orange foliage

David & Micha Sheldon / Getty Images

The effort will pay off handsomely: Their fall foliage color is a brilliant red or occasionally yellow.

This is an understory tree in the wild and needs to be planted in a shady spot.

For soil, a sandyloamis best, since it requires good drainage.

Amur maple tree leaves in a deep scarlet

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These slow-growing trees have a dense growth habit with a branching pattern that begins far down on the trunk.

However, they can reach a height of 35 feet if left unchecked.

Somevarietiesmake excellent multistemmed shrubs, while others are wonderful small specimen trees.

Striped or snakebark maples with its striped bark

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Hedge maple with yellow leaves

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Paperbark maple with its peeling bark

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