Conifers, which include pines, firs, larches and spruces, are mostly evergreens, although the larch does shed its needles, turning an earthy orange at the end of summer. Colour change is usually confined to deciduous, or leaf-shedding trees, including oak, birch, poplar, elm and – perhaps grandest of all – the maple.When is the best time to go leaf-peeping in the UK?In Scotland, leaves can begin to turn as early as mid-September, and the colours are spectacular by the end of this month and into October. Everything happens a little later in England, reaching a peak in October; the show is usually over by mid-November. The first tree to feel the cold is traditionally the horse chestnut, followed by beech, maple, silver birch, and then ash and oak.The Woodland Trust has a list of the best woods for autumn colours at .uk/woods/autumnwoodsindex.htm, or call 01476 581135 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm). But the trust believes climate change is making autumn arrive later and last longer, with spring coming earlier and winter close to disappearing altogether. According to a spokesman, “Last year oak trees weren’t bare until 4 December and whereas autumn used to be September, October and early November, it seems to be increasingly stretching into early December.” Fans of phenology (the study of seasons) can help gather data on the phenomenon Call 0800 0837 497; or see .uk.Choosing the best time to enjoy the hues of autumn has just become a lot simpler, with the launch this week of the Forestry Commission’s Autumn Colours campaign. Foresters around the country are monitoring the leaves on the trees and rating the colours from one to five (one being green and five being golden).Prospective leaf-peepers can visit the website at , where a colour-coded map provides an up-to-date indicator of the colours on show.

Seventy “autumn hotspots” have been selected, where visitors can see autumn at its finest, and most areas run autumn colour guided tours. Alternatively, you can order a free information pack by calling 0845 367 3787.Where are the best places to visit?One of the jewels in the UK’s autumnal crown is the National Arboretum at Westonbirt, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire (01666 880220), which attracts thousands of visitors at this time of year. Among the 18,000 tree species at Westonbirt, there is the national collection of maples (also known as acers), many of which are natives of Japan (see box, below).Maples are known for the wide variety of colours they display, from white, through various shades of yellow, to deep red. Here they are arranged in a “stamp book collection”, which means the colours are specially selected to put on the most attractive display. The leaves at Westonbirt usually begin to turn around mid-October; by mid-November the season is coming to an end. That doesn’t stop Westonbirt, however, which has cunningly managed to extend things by introducing an “Enchanted Wood” spectacular (Fridays, Saturday and Sundays, for five weeks from 15 November) which “puts the leaves back on the trees” by using 1,600 coloured spotlights along a marked trail. Tickets cost £5 for adults, £1 for children.Alternatively, try the National Trust’s Winkworth Arboretum just outside Godalming in Surrey (01483 208477; adults £3.50, children £1.75), which boasts an impressive range of unusual trees and shrubs, including the national collection of sorbus (whitebeam and mountain ash), which turns a spectacular russet and gold colour in the autumn.

Or there’s Sheffield Park Garden (01825 790231; adults £4.80, children £2.40) in East Sussex, an 18th-century landscape garden dominated by four lakes, where you can see the rich reds of scarlet oak and the oranges of swamp cypress. For more information on National Trust properties and autumn events, call 0870 458 4000, or see .uk.What if I want to branch out?If you do prefer to walk on the wild side, as opposed to spending time in carefully cultivated gardens and arboreta, you should have no problems finding a wood or a forest near you that is putting on a good autumnal show. After all, eight per cent of England and 15 per cent of Scotland has a tree on it.Among the most spectacular is Grizedale Forest Park (01229 860010; ) in Cumbria, where beech, oak and larch trees mingle with trees planted when the estate was an ornamental park, including maple and copper beech. On 24 October there’s a two-hour ranger-guided tour of the autumn foliage, which costs £3 for adults and £1.50 for children. Nearby Whinlatter Forest Park (017687 78469, ) boasts a similar riot of leafy hues.Autumn in Hampshire’s New Forest (023 8028 3141) means that fewer tourists are strolling among the trees and over the heathland. But they’re missing a treat, because the bracken turns a bright shade of red at about this time, which looks stunning alongside the purple of the heather.