14 Michigan Trees That Show The Prettiest Fall Colors

Forget New England — if Michigan is within a day's drive from your home, head to the Mitten State for some of the country's finest autumn leaf peeping. If you live in Michigan, puff your chests up with pride, because the Upper Peninsula took the title of the nation's number one destination for fall color touring by the USA Today 10Best list for 2025. If a trip to the more accessible Lower Peninsula is all you can fit into your schedule, you won't miss out one bit. The region of the "Trolls" (Michiganders will get the reference) may be even more colorful, since the southern portion of the state is hospitable enough to accommodate trees not found north of the Mackinac Bridge.

You won't be surprised to see maples and oaks on this list, but there are a handful of lesser-known tree varieties that do their fair share during the fall color show. Hickories, tulip poplars, sassafras, and more splash the woods with their own seasonal color. Peak color is expected around October 6 in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Michigan, whereas in the lower parts of the state, peak is expected about one week later.

Pack a picnic of pasties and Faygo and set out on a wooded Michigan trail on the quest for perfect fall foliage. Finally, fill your imagination with how one or more of these trees would look in your own yard for "color tours" from the comfort of your porch. Keep in mind that planting these trees in full sun usually produces the best fall color.

There are so many reasons to love the sugar maple (Acer saccharum). If maple syrup on your pancakes is at the top of the list, the fall color explosion should come in a close second. Blazing reds, yellows, and oranges burst forth starting in September in northern hardwood forests. These beauties are ideal for large yards, since they eventually reach up to 75 feet high. Sugar maples thrive in well-draining soil and are tough enough to make it through drought and low sunlight.

Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is more than just a skincare ingredient. The small tree goes the extra mile in fall by producing fringy yellow or orange flowers along with brilliant foliage. Witch hazels reveal lemon yellow, deep red, blaze orange, or variegated leaves in fall. Flowers bloom after the leaves fall and add color to your garden beds well into winter. These hardy trees thrive in moist soil and grow in anything from shade to full sun. Witch hazel grows up to 25 feet high and wide and needs a decent amount of room for its shallow, broad root system.

There's no question that maples are the star of the show in fall, and red maples (Acer rubrum) deliver on the color it's named for. However, leaves can sometimes turn orange or yellow, as well. These maples can thrive in urban areas and tough out swampy as well as compact soils. Still, red maples will grow best in well-draining, fertile soil in full sun to part shade. Choose a variety whose size will work with your space, since different types grow to between 40 and 120 feet high and 30 to 50 feet wide.

Oaks (Quercus spp.) are another prime player for fall foliage. After summer, you can watch their leaves turn sunny yellow, pumpkin orange, rich brown, or deep crimson. Prime Michigan varieties are white, northern red, and scarlet oaks. Oaks of all types are a wildlife haven, both for food and for shelter. You'll need a big yard for an oak, since they grow 40 to 80 feet tall. Plant them in full sun, 60 feet or more from buildings and other large trees. Oaks native to the state shouldn't need extra water once they're established, and most can get by in average soil.

Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) are just barely trees — they're more like large shrubs. But the autumnal finery these mini trees dress up in makes them more than worthy of mention. In the fall, its petite frame glows with red, yellow, or orange leaves. Despite the shrubby tendencies of many serviceberries, some species can grow up to 45 feet tall. Serviceberry trees need a generous amount of sun, but they aren't too finicky about soil. Native species don't require much water after their roots are established.

Colorado doesn't hold a monopoly over aspens. In fact, Michigan has one up on the Rocky Mountain state: Instead of just the famed quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), the Mitten State is also home to bigtooth aspen (Populus grandidentata). This may help explain why Michigan has significantly more aspen stands than Colorado. These two species wave yellow fall leaves at you with cheer. Both types favor sunny sites with good drainage. Michigan-grown aspens can top out at 100 feet for bigtooth and 85 feet for quaking.

If the only thing you know about hickory trees (Carya spp.) is the flavor their wood smoke lends to barbecue, you've certainly been missing out on their fall glory. Leaves show their team spirit by shifting from Spartan green to Wolverine maize or Tiger orange in the fall. Hickories can grow from 50 to 100 feet tall and 30 to 45 feet wide, depending on species. Ones native to Michigan are shagbark, shellbark, pignut, and bitternut. Plant hickories in full to part sun in soil rich with organic matter. They have mid-range water needs.

It's curious that the eastern white pine is Michigan's state tree when another species here produces mitten-shaped leaves. Sassafras trees (Sassafras albidum) don't always unfurl leaves resembling the lower peninsula, but this factoid should up the tree's esteem in any Michigander's eyes. The shade of sassafras leaves morphs into colors of a lakeside campfire: glowing reds to burnt oranges to flame yellows. These trees reach heights of 30 to 60 feet and spread up to 40 feet wide. Sassafras trees make do with many soil types as long as they're well-draining, and they can grow successfully in part-shade to part-sun.

A coniferous tree whose needles change color and drop in the fall, now that's not something lots of people knew existed. Eastern larches, or tamaracks (Larix laricina), are a type of pine whose needles become a dazzling yellow each fall before floating to the ground. Eastern larches can tower to 80 feet, but typically are shorter. Tamaracks are sun-loving trees that need at least 8 hours per day. While they have stringent light needs, they are less particular about soil; they'll survive in soggy conditions but are also drought-tolerant after maturing a couple of years.

Feathery, honey-colored leaves flutter on honeylocust (Gleditisia triacanthos) branches every fall. Honeylocust trees handle lots of growing conditions, but they are prone to a number of pests and diseases that could put you off planting one in your yard. On top of that, this beautiful, fast-growing tree can wreak havoc on your landscape in the form of abundant leaf litter and seed pods. Still interested? Plant honey locusts in full sun in nearly any kind of soil, and your fall stunner may grow up to 40 feet wide and 40 to 100 feet tall.

Gorgeous gingko trees (Gingko biloba) glow fluorescent to sunflower-yellow in fall, but they aren't native to Michigan. Since these Asian adoptees have been reported as invasive in a few U.S. areas, gingkos are probably better left to enjoy without planting your own. Gingkoes often grow along roads, since they tolerate less-than-ideal sites. These slow-growing, long-lived trees can make it to 80 feet tall and to well over 150 years of age.

Demure redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) live happily in the forest understory, but their showy foliage is too good to be hidden. Topping out at about 30 feet high and stretching about as wide, redbuds pop up naturally in only the southernmost portion of Michigan. However, they thrive in many regions, tolerating most soils (except extremely wet or dry) and growing in both full sun and part shade. Redbuds grow quickly at first, reaching 10 feet tall after about six years. They peak at about 20 to 30 feet high and wide.

Skyrocketing tulip poplars (Liriodendron tulipifera) shoot eagerly upward and create a towering fall canopy in gradients of yellow to orange. The tulip-shaped leaves aren't the only reason for this moniker; tulip trees also produce a magnolia-esque flower resembling a tulip. Tulip poplars are native only to a small sliver of lower Michigan, but they do well as landscape trees elsewhere.  Within about a decade, a tulip poplar can reach mature heights of 70 to 120 feet, depending on the variety. Ideal conditions for this tree are moist, well-draining soils and full sun.

Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) trees are lovely beyond what their name conveys. This tree is native to the eastern U.S., and its fall leaves take on anywhere from an orange hue to a red that rivals the color of Traverse City cherries. Black gum trees aren't suitable for every yard. They prefer swampy soil to set up shop, but they are reported to grow well in clay, loam, and silty soil that's occasionally dry. In full sun, a black gum tree may reach between 40 and 70 feet high and 20 to 35 feet wide.