In season · October

What’s out on the trees in October

The conkers are down, the hedges are full of haws and sloes, and the maples and birches are turning yellow. Here’s what to look for before it’s gone.

The whole year on one chart · Spotter sheets to print

New in October

Horse chestnut: red and gold. Big leaves turning yellow and red, many already brown.Susan Marley, CC BY 4.0Horse chestnutRed and gold Big leaves turning yellow and red, many already brown.October to NovemberHow to identify it → English oak: russet. Leaves turning a deep russet.English oakRusset Leaves turning a deep russet.October to NovemberHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: late yellow. Big long leaves turning yellow, then brown.Mark Partington, CC BY 4.0Sweet chestnutLate yellow Big long leaves turning yellow, then brown.October to NovemberHow to identify it → Field maple: butter yellow. A small tree turned an even yellow.Field mapleButter yellow A small tree turned an even yellow.October to NovemberHow to identify it → Hazel: green catkins. Short green catkins, closed tight on the twigs.Daniel Cahen, CC BY 4.0HazelGreen catkins Short green catkins, closed tight on the twigs.October to DecemberHow to identify it → Common beech: amber. A beech turning gold and orange.Marc Riera, CC BY 4.0Common beechAmber A beech turning gold and orange.October to NovemberHow to identify it → London plane: orange. Big stiff leaves turning orange.London planeOrange Big stiff leaves turning orange.October to NovemberHow to identify it → European larch: gold needles. A conifer gone gold, dropping its needles.Dave Shenton, CC BY 4.0European larchGold needles A conifer gone gold, dropping its needles.October to NovemberHow to identify it → Aspen: shaking gold. Yellow leaves still trembling in the breeze.AspenShaking gold Yellow leaves still trembling in the breeze.October to NovemberHow to identify it → Common lime: yellow hearts. Yellow heart-shaped leaves across the whole tree.Common limeYellow hearts Yellow heart-shaped leaves across the whole tree.October to NovemberHow to identify it → Wych elm: yellow. Yellow leaves across the whole tree.Wych elmYellow Yellow leaves across the whole tree.October to NovemberHow to identify it → Norway spruce: long cones. Long slender cones hanging straight down.gwynmwilliams, CC BY 4.0Norway spruceLong cones Long slender cones hanging straight down.October to FebruaryHow to identify it →

Fruit, nuts and cones

Horse chestnut: conkers. Spiky green cases split open on the grass.Horse chestnutConkers Spiky green cases split open on the grass.September to OctoberHow to identify it → English oak: acorns. Brown acorns in small scaly cups.Julia Henning, CC BY 4.0English oakAcorns Brown acorns in small scaly cups.September to OctoberHow to identify it → Hawthorn: haws. Red haws in loose bunches along the twigs.HawthornHaws Red haws in loose bunches along the twigs.August to NovemberHow to identify it → Blackthorn: sloes. Round, dusty blue sloes.Melanie Stanton, CC BY 4.0BlackthornSloes Round, dusty blue sloes.August to NovemberHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: chestnuts. Spiny cases split open, with brown nuts inside.Sweet chestnutChestnuts Spiny cases split open, with brown nuts inside.September to NovemberHow to identify it → Common beech: mast. Prickly husks split into four, on the ground.Common beechMast Prickly husks split into four, on the ground.September to OctoberHow to identify it → Rowan: red bunches. Flat-topped bunches of berries, orange going to scarlet.Alex Worsey, CC BY 4.0RowanRed bunches Flat-topped bunches of berries, orange going to scarlet.August to OctoberHow to identify it → Sycamore: helicopters. Pairs of winged seeds hanging in bunches.SycamoreHelicopters Pairs of winged seeds hanging in bunches.September to OctoberHow to identify it → Common ash: ash keys. Papery wings hanging in bunches, turning brown.Alex Press, CC BY 4.0Common ashAsh keys Papery wings hanging in bunches, turning brown.August to OctoberHow to identify it → Holly: winter berries. Bright red berries in tight clusters.HollyWinter berries Bright red berries in tight clusters.September to JanuaryHow to identify it → Yew: red cups. Soft red cups, open at the tip, with a green seed inside.ikelman, CC BY 4.0YewRed cups Soft red cups, open at the tip, with a green seed inside.September to NovemberHow to identify it → Alder: green cones. Small green cones in bunches on the twigs.AlderGreen cones Small green cones in bunches on the twigs.June to OctoberHow to identify it → Common whitebeam: speckled berries. Clusters of speckled red berries on the outer branches.Scott Shanks, CC BY 4.0Common whitebeamSpeckled berries Clusters of speckled red berries on the outer branches.September to OctoberHow to identify it → Hornbeam: seed wings. Papery three-pointed wings, each with a small nut.HornbeamSeed wings Papery three-pointed wings, each with a small nut.September to NovemberHow to identify it →

Turning

Silver birch: gold on white. Yellow leaves against a white trunk.Silver birchGold on white Yellow leaves against a white trunk.September to NovemberHow to identify it → Wild cherry: scarlet. Red, orange and gold leaves on one tree.Wild cherryScarlet Red, orange and gold leaves on one tree.September to OctoberHow to identify it → Rowan: first orange. Leaves turning orange, a little at a time.RowanFirst orange Leaves turning orange, a little at a time.September to NovemberHow to identify it → Sycamore: tar spot. Black blotches ringed in yellow on turning leaves.SycamoreTar spot Black blotches ringed in yellow on turning leaves.August to NovemberHow to identify it →

In full leaf

Field maple: blunt lobes. Small leaves with five rounded, blunt points.Field mapleBlunt lobes Small leaves with five rounded, blunt points.June to OctoberHow to identify it →

Coming in November

Horse chestnut: sticky buds. Fat reddish brown buds, sticky to the touch.Horse chestnutSticky buds Fat reddish brown buds, sticky to the touch.November to MarchHow to identify it → Hawthorn: thorns. Bare twigs set with sharp thorns.Михаил Орлов, CC BY 4.0HawthornThorns Bare twigs set with sharp thorns.November to MarchHow to identify it → Blackthorn: black thorns. Dark twigs with long thorns and tiny buds.BlackthornBlack thorns Dark twigs with long thorns and tiny buds.November to MarchHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: spiral bark. Bark ridges twisting round the trunk as they climb.Nick Butcher, CC BY 4.0Sweet chestnutSpiral bark Bark ridges twisting round the trunk as they climb.November to MarchHow to identify it → Silver birch: white trunk. A white trunk with black diamond marks.Silver birchWhite trunk A white trunk with black diamond marks.November to MarchHow to identify it → Wild cherry: bud spurs. Bunches of buds on short, stubby side shoots.Wild cherryBud spurs Bunches of buds on short, stubby side shoots.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common beech: grey trunk. A long, smooth, silvery grey trunk.Rachel Godfrey, CC BY 4.0Common beechGrey trunk A long, smooth, silvery grey trunk.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common beech: copper leaves. Dead copper leaves hanging on the lower branches.Common beechCopper leaves Dead copper leaves hanging on the lower branches.November to MarchHow to identify it → Rowan: silver bark. Smooth silvery grey bark, streaked with dark dashes.anguspritchard, CC BY 4.0RowanSilver bark Smooth silvery grey bark, streaked with dark dashes.November to MarchHow to identify it → Elder: warty twigs. Creamy grey twigs covered in raised warts.Lauren Ware, CC BY 4.0ElderWarty twigs Creamy grey twigs covered in raised warts.November to FebruaryHow to identify it → Sycamore: green buds. Fat green buds in matching pairs on stout twigs.SycamoreGreen buds Fat green buds in matching pairs on stout twigs.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common ash: winter keys. Brown papery keys hanging in bunches, rattling in wind.Common ashWinter keys Brown papery keys hanging in bunches, rattling in wind.November to MarchHow to identify it → Alder: black cones. Hard black cones, small and woody, on bare twigs.AlderBlack cones Hard black cones, small and woody, on bare twigs.November to JanuaryHow to identify it → Scots pine: ripe cones. Greyish brown cones, shut tight on the branches.Jerry Lanfear, CC BY 4.0Scots pineRipe cones Greyish brown cones, shut tight on the branches.November to MarchHow to identify it → European larch: bare conifer. A conifer standing bare, with no needles on it.Tom Garner, CC BY 4.0European larchBare conifer A conifer standing bare, with no needles on it.November to MarchHow to identify it → Common whitebeam: winter buds. Neat cone-shaped buds on bare shoots.Marek Hrušovský, CC BY 4.0Common whitebeamWinter buds Neat cone-shaped buds on bare shoots.November to MarchHow to identify it → Weeping willow: gold curtain. The whole hanging curtain turned gold.maxmarengo, CC BY 4.0Weeping willowGold curtain The whole hanging curtain turned gold.November to DecemberHow to identify it → Common lime: twiggy base. Twiggy sprouts crowding the foot of a bare trunk.Common limeTwiggy base Twiggy sprouts crowding the foot of a bare trunk.November to MarchHow to identify it → Hornbeam: ridged trunk. A grey trunk rippled with ridges.Ewan Shilland, CC BY 4.0HornbeamRidged trunk A grey trunk rippled with ridges.November to MarchHow to identify it → Wych elm: hairy buds. Stout grey twigs covered in stiff orange hairs.hadynrmurray, CC BY 4.0Wych elmHairy buds Stout grey twigs covered in stiff orange hairs.November to FebruaryHow to identify it →
On birch: witches' broom. A dense ball of twigs high in a bare birch.guywallbanks, CC BY 4.0On birchWitches' broom A dense ball of twigs high in a bare birch.November to March
On lime, poplar, apple and hawthorn: mistletoe. A green ball in a bare tree.pmcabinet, CC BY 4.0On lime, poplar, apple and hawthornMistletoe A green ball in a bare tree.November to March
In the app

Take it on your walk

  • What’s out, every weekThree things to find on the trees this week
  • What to look forEvery part of each tree in real photographs
  • Your collectionEvery find you photograph, in its numbered place
  • A short round each dayUntil you know them on sight
App StoreGoogle Play

Free to download.

Photographs: Susan Marley (CC BY 4.0), steve_mcwilliam (CC0), Mark Partington (CC BY 4.0), Daniel Cahen (CC BY 4.0), Marc Riera (CC BY 4.0), Dave Shenton (CC BY 4.0), olearam (CC0), gwynmwilliams (CC BY 4.0), Julia Henning (CC BY 4.0), Melanie Stanton (CC BY 4.0), magicmjk (CC0), Leon Cross (CC BY 4.0), Alex Worsey (CC BY 4.0), Alex Press (CC BY 4.0), cjoynson (CC0), ikelman (CC BY 4.0), Scott Shanks (CC BY 4.0), colinwilson1 (CC0), Михаил Орлов (CC BY 4.0), gerardgaya (CC0), Nick Butcher (CC BY 4.0), Rachel Godfrey (CC BY 4.0), anguspritchard (CC BY 4.0), Lauren Ware (CC BY 4.0), Jerry Lanfear (CC BY 4.0), Tom Garner (CC BY 4.0), Marek Hrušovský (CC BY 4.0), maxmarengo (CC BY 4.0), pete_gateley (CC0), Ewan Shilland (CC BY 4.0), hadynrmurray (CC BY 4.0), guywallbanks (CC BY 4.0), pmcabinet (CC BY 4.0). With thanks to everyone who shares their photographs on iNaturalist and Wikimedia Commons.