Every year people look forward to the colorful display of trees changing color. Although everyone looks for a "PEAK" when the colors are at their best, there is a long season for enjoying the colors. From the last week in September through the middle of November, you can find bright red, yellow, and scarlet foliage somewhere in Oklahoma.

 It is a popular misconception that cold and frost cause the tree to change to its autumn color. A quick frost or freeze only serves to shorten the span of a tree's coloration. 

 The best conditions for a beautiful autumn are just enough moisture and declining but not freezing temperatures. However, the colors are really based on day length. 

 As the days shorten and the nights get cooler, a chemical clock kicks in and releases a hormone that slows the sap flow to each leaf. Eventually, the leaf is sealed off from the branch and the green chlorophyll fades away to reveal the different chemical pigments that provide such bright colors. 

 Different species of trees change colors at various times. Dogwoods, maples, sweet gums are the first to show color. Whereas the oaks are the last species to change. Listed below are the colors you can expect from the various species of trees. 
 

TREES

REDS

Blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)

Flowering Dogwood (Carnus florida)

Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)

Hornbeam/Ironwood (Carpinus caroliniana)

Red or Swamp Maple (Acer rubrum)

Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra)

Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea)

White Oak (Quercus alba)

Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)

Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)

YELLOWS

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

 River Birch (Betula nigra)

Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)

Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra)

Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)

Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier arboria)

Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis)

Yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)