In season · September

What’s out on the trees in September

Conkers start to drop, hazelnuts and the first acorns fall, sloes and haws ripen in the hedges, and elder hangs heavy with black berries.

The whole year on one chart · Spotter sheets to print

New in September

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 → 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 → 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 → 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: 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: helicopters. Pairs of winged seeds hanging in bunches.SycamoreHelicopters Pairs of winged seeds hanging in bunches.September 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 → 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 →

Ripening

Horse chestnut: green cases. Green spiny cases hanging from the branches.oliverc29, CC BY 4.0Horse chestnutGreen cases Green spiny cases hanging from the branches.July to SeptemberHow to identify it → English oak: green acorns. Small pale green acorns on long stalks.Wendy Herniman, CC BY 4.0English oakGreen acorns Small pale green acorns on long stalks.July to SeptemberHow to identify it → Holly: green berries. Hard green berries among the leaves.testzzz, CC BY 4.0HollyGreen berries Hard green berries among the leaves.July to SeptemberHow to identify it → Scots pine: green cones. Green cones swelling beside tiny brown ones.Scots pineGreen cones Green cones swelling beside tiny brown ones.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Norway spruce: young cones. Young cones turning over to hang down.Jason Grant, CC BY 4.0Norway spruceYoung cones Young cones turning over to hang down.June to SeptemberHow to identify it →

Fruit, nuts and cones

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 → Field maple: straight keys. Pairs of winged seeds spread almost in a line.Field mapleStraight keys Pairs of winged seeds spread almost in a line.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Hazel: hazelnuts. Nuts in ragged green husks, in small bunches.HazelHazelnuts Nuts in ragged green husks, in small bunches.August to SeptemberHow 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 → Elder: elderberries. Heavy heads of black berries on crimson stalks.Paul Cook, CC BY 4.0ElderElderberries Heavy heads of black berries on crimson stalks.August to SeptemberHow 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 → 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 → London plane: green seed balls. Green bristly balls hanging on long strings.London planeGreen seed balls Green bristly balls hanging on long strings.July to SeptemberHow to identify it →

Turning

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

English oak: lobed leaves. Dark green leaves with deep, rounded lobes.Victor Heng, CC BY 4.0English oakLobed leaves Dark green leaves with deep, rounded lobes.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Sweet chestnut: glossy leaves. Long glossy leaves with spiky teeth down both edges.Sweet chestnutGlossy leaves Long glossy leaves with spiky teeth down both edges.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → 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 → Hazel: round leaves. Round, soft leaves held out flat.HazelRound leaves Round, soft leaves held out flat.May to SeptemberHow to identify it → Common beech: wavy leaves. Oval leaves with a wavy edge, fringed with hairs.Common beechWavy leaves Oval leaves with a wavy edge, fringed with hairs.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Sycamore: dark leaves. Big dark leaves with five points, on red stalks.Nick Butcher, CC BY 4.0SycamoreDark leaves Big dark leaves with five points, on red stalks.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Common ash: leaflets. Long leaves made of leaflets in pairs.Common ashLeaflets Long leaves made of leaflets in pairs.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → London plane: big leaves. Big stiff leaves with three to five points.London planeBig leaves Big stiff leaves with three to five points.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → European larch: needles. Soft needles in tufts, bright green all over.European larchNeedles Soft needles in tufts, bright green all over.May to SeptemberHow to identify it → Common whitebeam: white backs. Oval leaves, dark on top and white underneath.Common whitebeamWhite backs Oval leaves, dark on top and white underneath.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Aspen: trembling leaf. Round leaves shivering in the faintest breeze.AspenTrembling leaf Round leaves shivering in the faintest breeze.May to SeptemberHow to identify it → Common lime: heart leaves. Dark green heart-shaped leaves.Common limeHeart leaves Dark green heart-shaped leaves.June to SeptemberHow to identify it → Hornbeam: creased leaves. Neat leaves with deep veins and toothed edges.Lauren Ware, CC BY 4.0HornbeamCreased leaves Neat leaves with deep veins and toothed edges.May to SeptemberHow to identify it →

Coming 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 →
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Photographs: steve_mcwilliam (CC0), Julia Henning (CC BY 4.0), magicmjk (CC0), Leon Cross (CC BY 4.0), cjoynson (CC0), ikelman (CC BY 4.0), Scott Shanks (CC BY 4.0), colinwilson1 (CC0), oliverc29 (CC BY 4.0), Wendy Herniman (CC BY 4.0), testzzz (CC BY 4.0), foott1 (CC0), Jason Grant (CC BY 4.0), Melanie Stanton (CC BY 4.0), Alex Worsey (CC BY 4.0), Paul Cook (CC BY 4.0), Alex Press (CC BY 4.0), Victor Heng (CC BY 4.0), ben_deed (CC0), Nick Butcher (CC BY 4.0), Lauren Ware (CC BY 4.0), Susan Marley (CC BY 4.0), 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). With thanks to everyone who shares their photographs on iNaturalist and Wikimedia Commons.