Tree foliage color preference (redbud)

[Deleted]

I have never been a huge fan of trees with dark purple/red foliage. Everytime I see one at someone's front yard (as the main tree), it looks gloomy to me. It just doesn't do anything to me. Am I weird? Do you like dark purple/red foliage?

H thinks a forest pansy redbud which has dark purple foliage should look fine with our new house since the house is white with the light brown/gray stone. I don't know why I'm afraid of dark purple for the outside. I like dark purple paint inside the house but I'm not sold on a dark purple tree.

Not sure if my research is 100% correct, but it seems the foliage of a forest pansy changes 4x (dark purple to red to green to maybe yellow). I guess that much change in color is not bad. I just can't imagine having a dark purple tree all year long.

[tarheels]

I think the purple foliage trees are best as specimen trees worked into a landscape of other trees. I think they do their thing best when they're a surprise against the green.

Btw, you know they're an understory tree and want some shade? You said "main tree," so I'm picturing it'll be somewhere baking in the sun by itself.

[treedimensional]

Mar 17, 2013 5:25:07 GMT -5 d0ri said:

I have never been a huge fan of trees with dark purple/red foliage. Everytime I see one at someone's front yard (as the main tree), it looks gloomy to me. It just doesn't do anything to me. Am I weird? Do you like dark purple/red foliage?

Not sure if my research is 100% correct, but it seems the foliage of a forest pansy changes 4x (dark purple to red to green to maybe yellow). I guess that much change in color is not bad. I just can't imagine having a dark purple tree all year long.

Yes, you're weird. LOL. I love as much color variance as I can get. There are only so many shades of green, and I like to break it up visually. The first time I planted a purple leaved tree in my backyard, the visual impact of it took me by surprise. I had to move things around and redesign a little because it immediately became a focal point.

I think what you've read may be a little misleading. In reality, all trees change color over the course of the growing season. The leaves that emerge on most trees in spring are usually light, bright green and by summer they are darker green because they have been actively photosynthesizing for a while. In late summer many species leaves shift color in response to extreme heat and drought. Redbud isn't unique in doing this, but when it is written about, it is described as an asset because color appeals to consumers. You're just weird. 

[Deleted]

I'm not sure what kind of tree it is but my neighbor has a red/purple one that is just gorgeous imo when the sun hits it right. It is a dark purple color when the sun isn't right on it. Is this what you're talking about?





In general I prefer trees that turn bright yellow like this one across the street from us:

[treedimensional]

Mar 17, 2013 8:16:30 GMT -5 @lcap said:

I'm not sure what kind of tree it is but my neighbor has a red/purple one that is just gorgeous imo when the sun hits it right. It is a dark purple color when the sun isn't right on it. Is this what you're talking about?





In general I prefer trees that turn bright yellow like this one across the street from us:

lcap you are so lucky to live in a neighborhood with so many trees! That is a gorgeous and well-developed canopy you have there.

[Deleted]

Thanks! The trees were partly what sold us on this neighborhood We were sort of torn between our present house and a newer one in a development that had been built in a field but we were kind of turned off by the fact that the trees in that neighborhood were still so young and puny.

[rugbywife]

We have a huge maple in our back yard that is deep purple. I still love it.

[tarheels]

@lcap, treedimensional can say for sure, but I think that's a Japanese maple in your pic. This is what OP is talking about. Its leaves are purple instead of green during the summer.

[Deleted]

treedimensional --- Color variance sounds good but i believe we can't have enough trees in our small yard to get that variance.

But maybe having a dark purple tree isn't too bad since everybody else in the neighborhood has green trees (except when the colors change in fall since most have maples).

So, the foliage changes on a forest pansy that I found is not true? Does it just stay dark purple all year until the leaves fall?

[Deleted]

Maybe we should just go with maple like everybody else in our hood.

[Deleted]

@lcap --- That purple tree looks great. I'm okay with purple but not purple all year long. I like to see green in spring/summer. Looks refreshing.

Hmmm... I guess we can have a regular redbud with green leaves and the forest pansy so it won't be all purple.

[Deleted]

tarheels gotcha. I personally like that tree but I can see why someone else might think it's too dark.

[treedimensional]

Mar 17, 2013 9:36:15 GMT -5 d0ri said:

treedimensional --- Color variance sounds good but i believe we can't have enough trees in our small yard to get that variance. Well, all you need is 2. Unless they are identical, you will have at least SOME variance.


So, the foliage changes on a forest pansy that I found is not true? Does it just stay dark purple all year until the leaves fall? Almost ALL trees foliage colors vary in response to environmental and seasonal condition changes. I'm just saying that what you read may have mislead you to think the changes would be dramatic. They are usually subtle.

The red/purple foliage trees (like maples, plums, and smoketrees) display the BEST red/purple colors when they get more sunlight.
And NO, you shouldn't use a maple like everyone else.
The fact that everyone else uses them is about the strongest argument against planting another maple!

[susieq]

I think against the colors of your house that it would be a very nice accent tree. I do agree that it needs more sun to make the leaf coloring deeper. The Forrest Pansy will still bloom in the spring like other redbuds.

An interesting side note. The blooms of the redbuds are edible and very high in vitamin C.

[Deleted]

treedimensional --- LOL. I knew you'd say no maple.

susieq --- That's very interesting about blooms.