Visit an arboretum

An arboretum is a garden, or collection, of trees and other woody plants, grown for study and display and usually labelled with their names. So in fall you get peak colour concentrated in one place, with every tree labelled. It’s an easy half-day, usually under $20, and you can go alone or with one friend. You don’t need to know anything about trees. Part of the fun is learning a few.

What is an arboretum, and how do you find one?

Many universities, cities and botanical gardens run one, and some national and state parks do too. Search your area for “arboretum” or “botanical garden” and look for:

• Opening hours. As your list says, many close early in fall because the days are shorter. Check the closing time and when the last entry is.
• Entry and parking. Some are free and some charge a small fee. Don’t assume, since both vary.
• A fall colour update. Some post what’s currently turning. It’s worth a look the morning you go.
• Visitor rules about food, dogs, tripods and drones.
• A map. Most have a printable or online one, often with a recommended route for fall colour.

Time your visit

Colour peaks at different times depending on where you live and on the weather that year. An arboretum helps, because it has many species. Some turn early and some late, so there’s usually something worth seeing for several weeks.

To get the best light, go on a weekday morning if you can. It’s quieter, and low sun makes leaves glow. A cloudy day makes colours look deeper, and a day after rain makes bark darker and the colours richer. Wind and heavy rain bring leaves down quickly, so if a storm has just passed, you may see more of the ground than the canopy.

How to spend the visit

1. Start at the visitor centre or gate. Pick up a map and ask what’s colourful this week. Staff usually know.
2. Walk slowly and read the name tags. They normally give the common name, the Latin name and often where the tree is from. It’s a good way to learn which maple is which.
3. Look for different kinds of colour. Maples are known for red and orange, ginkgos for a clear yellow, oaks for russet and brown, and larches for gold needles. Check the label rather than guess.
4. Look at more than leaves. Bark, berries, seed pods, acorns and the shape of the whole tree all vary. Peeling and patterned bark is easier to see once the leaves thin out.
5. Sit down once. Pick a bench and stay for ten minutes without your phone.

What to bring beyond the list

You’ll have comfy shoes, a camera. Also useful:

• Layers. It’s cooler under trees and near water.
• A notebook or notes app, for trees you like. A name tag you photograph is easy to lose.
• A small water bottle and a snack, if the rules allow them.
• A leaf ID app, if you want to identify trees outside the arboretum afterwards.
• A rain jacket. Many arboretums stay open in light rain, and it’s a nice time to go.

Taking good photos

• Shoot in the first or last hours of the day, when the light is low and warm.
• Look up and shoot through the canopy, with the sun behind the leaves so they light up.
• Find a path with a row of trees and take a photo down the middle.
• Get close to a single leaf or a pattern in the bark.
• Don’t climb on trees, step into plant beds or pick leaves, flowers or seeds unless the arboretum says you can.

Small things that make a visit better

• Pick one favourite tree and find out its name. Then you’ll spot it in your own neighbourhood.
• Go with a question. Which tree has the reddest leaf? Which one is the oldest?
• Take a leaf photo, not a leaf. If you want to collect leaves, take fallen ones from the ground in places where it’s allowed, and ask if you’re not sure.
• Check for events. Some run guided walks, plant sales or talks in fall.

Mistakes to avoid

• Arriving close to closing time and being sent home early.
• Wearing shoes that aren’t suited to gravel or wet leaves, which can be slippery.
• Expecting every tree to be at peak colour on the same day.
• Trying to see the whole place in an hour. Pick one or two sections and enjoy them.

Make it a fall day

Pair the arboretum with a coffee or something warm afterwards. If you’ve been collecting leaves, you can press them when you get home, or pick one tree there and start photographing it every week. By the time the last leaf falls, you’ll know the name of at least one tree.