An oak leaf in autumn is typically a deep, rich brown. However, depending on the tree and the location, the leaves can range in color from light brown to almost black. This color is one of the most striking and distinctive in the fall foliage. Red leaves of eastern white oak and scarlet oak are in full bloom in late autumn.

The leaves of evergreen oaks are shiny and dark green all year, but most oaks will turn colors in autumn. Some oaks, such as scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), sport brilliant colors in the fall. White oaks and chestnut oaks are often a dull brown when color comes around.

The leaf is mostly hairless, except for a very characteristic tuft of pale orange-brown down on the lower surface where each lobe vein joins the central vein. Overall autumn leaf coloration is generally bronze, though individual leaves may be red for a time, and is not considered particularly distinctive.

Several species of oak exhibit yellow fall color, caused by the carotene in their leaves that's visible after chlorophyll is depleted. The yellow shades are often combined with brown. Valley oak (Quercus lobata), native to California and winter hardy to USDA zones 7 through 9, turns attractive shades of bronze and gold in the fall.